Chapter 4: Recommendations

4.1 Introduction
The following recommendations are a response to the analysis of the existing conditions of the study area. The policies and guidelines put forward attempt to resolve the opportunities, constraints and problem areas that were previously mentioned, in a manner that is both functionally and aesthetically appropriate for the University community.

Campus-wide Recommendations have been put forth to preserve, unify and enhance the campus environment. These recommendations do not apply to specific project sites, but rather, to the entire study area. These guidelines and policy statements address common situations and issues which affect all sectors of campus.

The Design Guidelines for Sectors of the Study Area are intended as more detailed overlays to the sectors identified in section 4.3 of Volume III of the Campus Master Plan: District Plan for the Academic Core North. In addition to these eighteen sectors are the North Residence Halls, the South Residence Halls and the Campus Edges. The foundation for these guidelines is established by the spatial hierarchy and circulation framework presented in Chapter 3 of this document.

It is the intent of these recommendations and design guidelines to direct project committees, design professionals and design review committees toward the landscape goals of the University. In addition to providing guidance for major building and open space projects, these standards will be the basis for the incremental restoration of existing campus open spaces. The consistent retrofitting of smaller site improvement projects will result in a more unified campus fabric over time.

The Campus-wide Recommendations of the Landscape Master Plan can be applied not only to the study area covered in this document, but to all districts of campus. However, district landscape master plans should be produced in the future to establish site specific design guidelines for those individual areas not covered in this document. In addition, other related subjects that require further study that are not included in the scope of the Landscape Master Plan are:

• Comprehensive Signage and Wayfinding Plan
• Site Lighting Master Plan
• Comprehensive Bicycle Route Plan

4.2 Campus-wide Recommendations

1. Site Improvement Review Procedures

Goals & Objectives
In order to ensure site improvements to the highest standards, it is recommended that a site improvement review process be established at The Ohio State University under the auspices of a Site Improvement Advisory Team. Major landscape projects at the University will be reviewed by the Design Review Board for conformance with policies, principles and guidelines of the Campus Master Plan. However, without some process for review, the accumulation of small improvement, replacement and repair projects can collectively degrade the campus environment. Therefore it is recommended that all site improvement projects not critiqued by the Design Review Board be reviewed by the Site Improvement Advisory Team regardless of their size. The Site Improvement Advisory Team also has the discretion to request Design Review Board review of any project which they believe has a significant impact on the campus as a whole. A site improvement project shall be defined as any project that adds to or changes the functional or visual qualities of the landscape. A maintenance repair project shall be defined as the upkeep of existing site elements to ensure their proper function and preserve their existing aesthetic qualities, such as the replacement of site elements with like materials in like form. Maintenance projects will not be subject to Site Improvement Review.

The charge to the Site Improvement Advisory Team is to review site improvement projects on behalf of the University with two primary goals:

1. To interpret the Landscape Master Plan policies and design guidelines; to determine compliance with the policies, principles, and guidelines; to recommend modifications to the proposed project when appropriate. Serious deliberation should be given to any exceptions or to any modification of the policies, principles, or guidelines.
2. To evaluate projects to ensure that they meet the highest qualitative standards. Special care must be taken, however, so that the Team does not lapse into "designing the site," and that architects, landscape architects, and other project representatives are given clear instruction after any review. Additionally, the Site Improvement Advisory Team will be responsible for maintaining and updating as appropriate the Technical Appendix to the Landscape Master Plan. This includes revisions to the standard details and outline specifications that might be necessary as a result of future site related issues and evolving construction technologies. The Team should also establish and maintain the policies and procedures by which the standards and specifications are enforced.

The Site Improvement Advisory Team’s review responsibility is the "civic" mission of a project, not its "private" or functional one. This includes review of the project in light of not only the Landscape Master Plan, but the Long Range Concept Plan and the relevant district plan, with emphasis on the quality of public open space and landscape, relationship to adjacent architecture and its relationship and contribution to the larger campus context in which it is sited.

Team Membership
The Site Improvement Advisory Team members are appointed by the Vice President of Business and Finance. The Site Improvement Advisory Team is advisory to the University Landscape Architect, who will chair the committee. Membership will consist of the University Landscape Architect, two representatives from Physical Facilities, two faculty members: one from the Section of Landscape Architecture; one from the Department of Horticulture and Crop Science that also represents the Chadwick Arboretum; two representatives from the Office of the University Architect and Physical Planning; one registered, experienced landscape architect from outside of The Ohio State University; and one student. In addition, the Team should notify other groups that may be affected by potential site improvements on an individual project review basis. The Team may also select other personnel to provide technical resource support as required. 

The Site Improvement Advisory Team is an advisory body-not an action body. This distinguishes the Site Improvement Advisory Team from any project-specific formal review and approval process. The Site Improvement Advisory Team reviews projects from the perspective of the larger context in which the project is located.

2. Assignment of Outdoor Space
While all outdoor spaces on campus are shared by the public, problems often arise from a lack of ownership and responsibility for the open spaces between buildings. Even when buildings have a strong relationship to their adjacent outdoor spaces, many of these spaces are neglected or misused during construction or renovation projects. In addition to the percentage of construction cost that has been established for civic structure improvements on all capital projects, a policy should be created which assigns responsibility for the design, construction, restoration and maintenance of all exterior space. In addition, offices and departments should be encouraged to participate in the improvement of the exterior spaces surrounding their respective buildings. They should be represented in the design process for new construction or renovation of their own sites as well as adjacent projects that may impact their site. They should also be encouraged to propose and request site improvements independent of construction projects.

3. Sustainability
A sustainable landscape minimizes resources and energy in an attempt to create a balance between the built environment and the natural cycles and processes of the site and region. The principles of sustainable design should also be applied to The Ohio State University’s landscape. The University is committed to improving the quality of life on campus well into the future and has a responsibility to educate the University community about the importance of sustainability and the environment. 

Sustainable design incorporates the use of economic, environmental and social measurements to evaluate a given design or activity:

• Global thinking: understanding large-scale implications of design decisions.
• Life-cycle analysis: determining the long-term value of design decisions.
• Durability and longevity: allowing for continued use for at least 50 years.
• Energy:efficiency in construction and operations, using significantly less energy than alternative strategies.
• Social benefit: providing jobs for the local economy, enhancing the character of the built environment.

To this end, the University should incorporate into its decision-making process policies for the planning, implementation and evaluation of sustainable criteria for project design and management operations in the University landscape. Examples might include:

• Evaluate maintenance requirements in all landscape design review.
• Reduce, recycle or reuse solid wastes whenever possible.
• Establish a composting facility for organic wastes such as leaf litter.
• Protect topsoil for reuse during construction activity.
• Protect existing vegetation during construction; minimize disturbance and regrading.
• Encourage use of public transportation, walking and bicycling, as alternatives to automobiles.
• Minimize use of pesticides, herbicides and chemical fertilizers and incorporate Integrated Pest Management (IPM) into landscape maintenance activities.
• Select plants which will thrive without special care, e.g. native species and others well adapted to their locations.
• Concentrate high maintenance landscapes in very selected, high visibility areas.
• Avoid tropical hardwood products unless plantation is grown in a sustainable manner.
• Educate contractors about recycling during construction and minimizing job-site waste.
• Use water for landscape maintenance in a judicious manner.
• Consider climbing ivy and large shade trees on the south and west sides of buildings to improve building energy efficiency by increasing sun exposure in winter and providing shade in summer; use evergreen screening to block northwest winter winds.
• Encourage recycling.
• Use high-efficiency, low-energy consumption site lighting fixtures; light only to a level to promote feelings of safety ­ not to engineering standards of footcandle levels.
• Use recycled asphalt base course pavement and other recycled or partially recycled materials.
• Use small, solar- or electric-powered landscape Cushman-type maintenance vehicles, rather than larger pick-up trucks, when possible.
• Provide convenient storage of landscape maintenance equipment throughout campus to minimize vehicular transportation requirements.
• Develop a University-wide educational program about sustainable design.

4. Maintenance and Staffing
Life cycle costing is more commonly applied to buildings than to landscapes. While there is no such thing as a "no maintenance" landscape, durability and quality are key in reducing long-term maintenance and replacement requirements. The implementation of University-wide standards for landscape elements will help to provide a consistent level of quality and durable landscapes throughout the campus. For example, a short-term decision to avoid spending money on a new walk connection may lead to a more expensive treatment over time ­ with a less desirable aesthetic result. If walks, signs and bike racks are properly designed and located, for example, there will be no need to install elaborate plantings to divert pedestrian or bicycle traffic. 

During the design phases, each landscape construction project should be evaluated for consistency with University standards and for maintenance requirements. The staffing levels for the landscape maintenance department should be increased commensurate with new landscape maintenance requirements.

Typically, in a University campus setting, landscape maintenance requires one full-time employee per 20-25 acres. This assumes that horticultural workers who maintain plants and mow lawns during the warmer months can perform snow plowing and pruning and other winter-season chores. Staff training and continuing education are key in improving performance and retaining skilled maintenance staff.

The current method of establishing the landscape maintenance budget for the campus is directly related to building square footage. This formula has no relationship to the maintenance requirements of the campus landscape. The University should consider a system that is based on acreage of land and the maintenance requirements of individual spaces. This could be achieved by establishing a maintenance fund/endowment based on the capital cost of site improvement projects.

5. Snow Removal and Snow Melting Chemicals
The use of salt to melt snow and ice on pavements is damaging to vehicles, pavements (especially concrete), building entry floors, horticultural soils and plants. Its use should be limited to asphalt roadways wherever possible and applied after snow is removed. Salt should be mixed with a minimum of 1:1 sand to improve traction, and the amount of salt in the mix should be limited to the smallest amount possible. Maintenance crews should set baffles on spreaders to limit the spread of sand and salt mixtures. The use of straight sand is preferred on roadways if dry storage is available for stockpiling the material. The use of sand on roadways requires spring clean up along walks and roads and regular maintenance to clear catch basin sumps. If salt must be used on cement concrete walks, all new walks should be sealed within three days of installation to resist salt damage, using "Hydrozo Clear 30M" or equal.

The use of less damaging (though more expensive) snow melting chemicals such as calcium chloride pellets ("Ice Melt" or "Peladow," or equal) or calcium magnesium acetate ("Sno-N-Ice-Melt," or equal) should be considered on cement concrete walkways or where unit pavers are set on a concrete base. After ice and snow have melted, building maintenance staff should sweep walks and steps of buildings to remove chlorides and reduce tracking of residue into buildings. Walk-off mats should be placed at all building entries.

Recently, heated sidewalks were installed at the new Fisher College of Business. The long term benefits of this system should be evaluated relative to maintenance costs.

6. Temporary Landscapes
As the University acquires adjacent land parcels in the mixed use zones along some of the edges of campus, an approach toward treatment of these "temporary landscapes" should be taken which preserves the University’s future options for development and conveys a neighborliness toward the surrounding community. Where it is feasible to retain and use the existing structures, a scale and character of plantings and lawn that compliments the use of the structure is appropriate along with the provision for a suitable level of landscape maintenance. Where existing structures are demolished and the site is to be used as parking, playfields or lawn pending future development, more cost-effective, but attractive, treatments of the sites should be considered.

• Light parking lots for safety with cut-off type fixtures with house-side shields to protect abutting residences from glare.
• Light pedestrian routes to campus with the standard University light fixture with house side shields as necessary.
• Plant low, evergreen shrubs on slopes that exceed 3:1 pitch to stabilize the soil and reduce maintenance.
• Screen interim parking lots with 3’ to 4’ high shrub hedge to minimize headlight glare while maintaining through-lot views for safety.
• Repair and stabilize existing site retaining walls.
• Where existing grade is typically 3’ to 4’ above the surrounding street grade, and may eventually be lowered to accommodate a building site, the site should be paved for parking or loamed and seeded for lawn, but trees should only be planted in permanent locations where grade will not be affected.
• Plant trees and shrubs toward the perimeter of these parcels and along streets to screen parking and provide summer shade.
• Coordinate with the City of Columbus, adjacent neighborhoods and Utilities Partnership to place overhead utilities below ground, integrate decorative light fixtures, and replant street trees to re-establish overhead canopy.

7. Vandalism Resistance
The campus landscape has suffered a great amount of damage on a variety of site elements from the continual abuse of roller-bladers and skateboarders. While a policy which prohibits this type of activity is in place, continual enforcement throughout all areas of campus is difficult. Therefore, careful design consideration should be given to site elements to minimize this type of abuse.

• Avoid long, continuous sections of wall cap that encourage roller-bladers and skateboarders to grind the edge. Integrate special cap details with relief or reveals.
• Minimize long, continuous sections of smooth handrails that encourage roller-bladers and skateboarders to grind the railings. All hand rails must meet the minimum requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
• Select site furniture standards that discourage misuse by roller-bladers and skateboarders.
• Coordinate with the City and adjacent neighborhoods to locate potential sites for a skate park in order to isolate the activity. The site may or may not be located on University property depending on the intended user group.

Another form of vandalism that can be discouraged with proper design of site elements is graffiti. The most common areas for this type of vandalism are on smooth concrete walls or bridge abutments. Creating a heavily textured surface on these walls will discourage vandals. In addition, a variety of concrete sealants are available which assist in the cleaning of concrete surfaces.

8. Site Lighting
The University has taken major strides toward the upgrade and installation of consistent, high quality, campus-wide site lighting. The historic-style "acorn" fixture for pedestrian walks complements the scale and context of the institution, particularly within the Academic Core. However, some areas appear to be too bright in contrast with adjacent spaces, and in some small spaces (such as the walkway west of Brown Hall) the poles are too closely spaced in such a small area. Industry standards for footcandle levels should not be the only criteria for light placement. A lighting designer should be retained to work with the University engineers to refine the Site Lighting Master Plan, in order to enhance feelings of safety and create a hierarchy of lighting spaces on the campus. The goals of a campus-wide site lighting system are

1. To convey a feeling of security after dark
2. To reinforce major pedestrian connectors
3. To highlight major spaces and building entries

To accomplish these goals, a number of factors must be considered in all lighting decisions:

• Consider existing plantings and ambient light from adjacent buildings.
• Consider entry and building mounted lights wherever possible to highlight entries and architecture, eliminate dark spots at the base of buildings, reduce visual clutter and reduce costs.
• Complement campus architecture and environment with light poles and fixtures. Poles and fixtures should not become primary visual objects in the landscape.
• Avoid the use of pole-mounted fixtures in narrow pedestrian corridors and courtyards when building-mounted lights can accomplish the same goals with less visual clutter and at less cost.
• Avoid brightness in the center of a space that can affect the ability to see the perimeter of the space and result in adjacent spaces that seem extremely dark. Illuminate destination points and eliminate eye-level plantings so that pedestrians can see through a space.
• Expand the existing standard family of light fixtures to include more appropriate fixtures for specific lighting situations. Lighting of major streets, such as Lane Avenue and High Street, as well as large surface parking lots, may be achieved more efficiently with a fixture that has been specifically designed for that type of application.

9. Sign System
The quality and materials of the University’s signs convey volumes about the image of the institution. Over time, the types and numbers of signs have proliferated on the campus to meet changing needs. Installations are of uneven character and quality. At least two University departments are responsible for design and installation of temporary and permanent signs. 

A comprehensive sign study and design package should be undertaken to provide a sequence of information to campus visitors in a unified system. It is highly recommended that the University retain a qualified sign designer to develop this system. The sign system design package should address the ongoing design, management and maintenance of the sign system, sign placement, sign materials, and sign fabrication. In addition, the following issues should be considered relative to design and placement:

• All proposed sign placements will be reviewed by the Office of the University Architect and Physical Planning.
• Establish a standard building identification sign that reflects the historic and institutional qualities of the University.
• Consider educational and interpretive opportunities through recognizing the year of construction on building identification signs and/or an explanation of the significance of historic or landmark campus architecture and spaces.
• Mount signs in planting beds associated with the main entry.
• Mount signs into a paved base in lawn areas to ease in the maintenance at the base of the sign.
• Core drill and mount traffic signs at a consistent dimension from curbs.

10. Bicycle Routes
As parking is relocated from the campus core into perimeter structure parking, it is likely that bicycle use within the campus will become even more popular. Policies established in Vol. II of the Campus Master Plan: Long Range Concept Plan suggest that pedestrian and bicycle routes are important types of campus transportation and should connect destination points within the campus, as well as key off-campus destinations. A comprehensive bicycle route plan for the campus should be developed, connecting districts of the campus, connecting regional bike paths and encouraging the use of campus streets, rather than pedestrian walks.

The successful long-term accommodation of bicycles within the campus will require that the design, education and management (enforcement) of a bicycle system be outlined in the comprehensive bicycle route plan and implemented by the University. This comprehensive plan should consider the following:

• Encourage bicyclists to use existing streets, rather than sidewalks, wherever possible.
• Use painted bicycle logos to remind automobile drivers that they are sharing the street with bicyclists. This device should be used on interior campus streets with low automobile speeds.
• Designate bike lanes on campus streets with higher automobile speeds. 
• Provide additional pavement when streets are widened to accommodate bike lanes.
• Use signs, bollards or warning rumble strips at selected vehicular and pedestrian crossings.
• Maximize clear visibility at pedestrian and vehicular crossings through proper plant selection and placement.
• Implement bicycle management strategies to prohibit riding of bikes across the Oval and other major pedestrian connectors.
• Provide bicycle racks in sufficient numbers and in convenient locations to minimize chaining of bicycles to trees, signs and furniture. Implement enforcement strategy.
• Locate bicycle racks off to one side of primary views into campus spaces and primary views out of campus buildings.

11. Tree Identification System
In support of the teaching, research and public service mission of the University, a campus-wide system of tree identification should be reinstated. The Chadwick Arboretum, along with the Horticulture and Landscape Architecture Departments, should use the comprehensive tree survey that is currently being developed by the University Department of Physical Facilities as a basis for the creation of a comprehensive tree identification walk. The following issues should be considered in the planning of the walk:

• Mount simple, inconspicuous, low maintenance identification plates at the base of selected trees. Locate plates within the mulch ring to avoid damage from mechanical equipment.
• Establish a variety of walk alternatives based on plant associations. While some walks may consist of a variety of tree types, others may concentrate on groups of related species.
• Map the alternative tree walks and provide to faculty, students and general public in hard copy form and via the internet.
• Identify staff to maintain the system, including replacement of lost or damaged identification plates and updates to the alternative tree walks.

12. Art and Memorial Opportunities
Art enriches the environment and provides unstructured opportunities for learning. The incorporation of permanent art into the campus landscape is to be encouraged in locations where the art can be appropriately sited with quality materials, and where it can be appropriately maintained.

The zone of influence of each art piece extends beyond the actual artwork itself. The placement and site development for each piece should be carefully considered to integrate the entire composition into its surroundings. Many courtyards, pedestrian corridors, gateways and pedestrian intersections might provide opportunities for art placement. Some possible locations for art works are noted in Figure 4.2-1.

In addition to criteria established by the University Arts and Memorial Committee, art placement in the campus landscape should include consideration of: the sequence of discovery, degree of enclosure or openness, thematic association with campus history or adjacent academic disciplines, scale, light and shadow, and more practical issues such as required utilities, protection of existing walks and plant materials, and landscape restoration requirements.

Possible Interpretive Elements Related to the University’s Past
The University is enriched by the retention of historically interesting artifacts or landscapes of the past. For example, until the 1920’s the University Woods occupied the northeast quadrant of the central campus. Remnants of those woods remain in some of the larger specimen trees which flank College Drive, and west of Ramseyer Hall. These trees should be given high priority care and be retained into the next century. A small paved sitting area might be placed west of Ramseyer Hall commemorating the University Woods. The placement of walks and benches in this area should be designed to reduce the current compaction problems within the root zones of the trees and to improve the lawns. Irrigation may be required to maintain this area appropriately. 

The 40th parallel latitude marker, which now lies to the north of the Library, is an inadequate representation of this interesting theoretical line. A site art opportunity might illustrate the linear direction of this line throughout the campus. 

The ‘Five Brothers Memorial’ within The Oval was planted by the class of 1891. According to a University historical narrative of the 1970’s, "The Ringing Grooves of Change", only 5 of the original 7 elms remained at that time. Tissue culture replacement trees should be started from the remaining trees to allow the replanting of this memorial in the same location, along with an interpretive stone or label of the history of the planting. 

Buildings that are a critical part of the history of the University should also be identified. The "South Dorm" was the first residence hall on campus and later became a homeopathic hospital. This and many other historically significant buildings no longer exist, but their location should be noted in some way.

Other historically interesting artifacts of the University that should be considered as potential interpretive elements include, but are not limited to, the following:

• The Jesse Owens Oak, given to Owens as a gift from Adolf Hitler at the 1936 Olympic Games.
• The history of the Neil Farm.
• The significance of Pomerene Hall and the history of Women at The Ohio State University.
• The original Drill Grounds west of the Ohio Union.
• The Old Ohio Field - original Football Field along High Street
• The original course of the Olentangy River’s edge before it was modified in the 1920’s.
• The location of Brick Kilns north of University Hall.
• The evolution of the University grounds from pre-historic times.
• Existing descendants of the Logan Elm.
• Remnants of original walls of the horticultural gardens behind Lazenby Hall.
• The use of 19th Avenue as a runway in World War I and an airplane hangar at the park space on the northwest corner of Robinson Laboratory.
• The site of an old cooling pond which is now occupied by the Science and Engineering Library.
• Streetcar tracks on Neil Avenue, which ran from downtown to the Olentangy Amusement Park.
• The power plant of the University was formerly serviced by a rail line which apparently came from the west, along Woody Hayes Drive, and turned south into the campus toward the back of University Hall. 

Art Maintenance Issues
No art should be installed in the campus landscape without a maintenance plan that identifies each artwork’s maintenance requirements and the persons who will perform the maintenance, as well as assurance that funding is available for appropriate levels of maintenance. Temporary art installations may require a lesser investment in surrounding materials and maintenance, but design, maintenance and landscape restoration issues should be carefully considered in identifying appropriate locations and installations for temporary art. For example, if temporary banners were to be installed on site light poles or other campus structures, the installation plan would include plans for maintenance of the banners while on display, as well as their removal and restoration of any damaged lawns, paint touch-ups and other requirements.

Art Opportunities (image)

13. Campus Parking
The Campus Master Plan proposes that, over time, the majority of surface parking lots throughout campus will become building sites. The displacement of this parking will be accommodated in conveniently located structure parking. While this proposal will improve the functional and aesthetic qualities of the campus, the issue of surface parking will continue to exist for many years to come. A recently adopted Transportation and Parking Master Plan should be consulted regarding position, placement and allocation of parking. Guidelines for the treatment of surface parking and parking structures are as follows:

On Street Parking 
On-street parking on campus streets will be provided with an 8’-wide parallel-parking lane, where designated. Head in or angled parking should be minimized. While this parking arrangement yields more spaces, it also presents a safety risk with automobiles backing into the street with limited visibility. In addition, this arrangement creates a larger visual barrier to pedestrians crossing the street. The displacement of the spaces will be accounted for in convenient structure parking. Parallel parking spaces on campus streets should be reserved for disabled drivers, visitors to the University, and short term delivery and drop-off.

Surface Parking Lots
In order to reduce the negative visual and environmental impact of large surface parking areas, interior planting and perimeter screening should be established.

• Include interior parking lot islands necessary to break up large expanses of pavement. Avoid multiple small islands that create maintenance problems and provide poor growing conditions for trees. Provide large, continuous islands that define primary drive aisles.
• Minimize maintenance requirements of landscape islands through the proper selection of urban tolerant trees and low, spreading evergreen plantings as ground cover.
• Filter views into the parking areas with evergreen and deciduous trees of various heights and canopies planted along the perimeter. For pedestrian safety, avoid dense plantings that branch to the ground.
• Avoid shrubs, grasses and perennial plantings at the perimeter of parking areas to minimize maintenance costs.
• Avoid earth mounds as screening devices.

Parking Structures
Future parking structures, in addition to the number that currently exist, could dominate the visual landscape if not properly treated. The following guidelines will be used in the siting of new structures and the retrofitting of the existing structures.

• Use lighting appropriately at vehicular and pedestrian entries for safety reasons without unnecessarily illuminating a large portion of the facade.
• Use evergreen and deciduous trees with a variety of sizes and canopy heights to filter views to the structure.
• Avoid vegetative screening immediately adjacent to the structure to encourage pedestrian sense of security while in the structure.
• Consider upgrading structure facades that face important campus spaces with standard University brick to complement adjacent architecture.

14. Pedestrian and Vehicular Accessibility
The successful design of all campus spaces is dependent on providing safe access for all pedestrians. In addition, provisions for the campus area bus service, personal or campus vehicles for people with disabilities, emergency vehicles and service vehicles must always be part of any site improvement.

• Provide safe, convenient access for all building entries and campus spaces in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
• Integrate pedestrian access issues into the design process for buildings and/or site improvements in order to avoid ramps and other devices that appear as afterthoughts and detract from the visual quality of the campus.
• Provide appropriate clearances and space for wheelchairs in the layout of bench groupings as well as accessible sides to study tables.
• Provide clear access to all buildings and open spaces for service and emergency vehicles through streets, service drives or wide sidewalks designed to support vehicular traffic.
• Accommodate standard service and emergency vehicle movement with appropriate pavement widths and radii.
• Consider bus clearances and maneuverability in all streetscape design and any other areas that may be affected by bus traffic.

15. Public Safety
Recommendations toward improving public safety and security across campus are made throughout the Landscape Master Plan. In addition to the guidelines put forth regarding site lighting, parking and crosswalks, the following issues must also be considered in establishing a safe environment.

• Maintain tree canopies at a height and density that allow for continuous views and do not obstruct site lighting or the view of traffic signage.
• Avoid the placement of dense plant materials, which create hiding places, near pedestrian walks.
• Maintain unobstructed eye-level views across individual campus spaces.
• Consider the exterior emergency phone project in all site improvement decisions by creating new phone locations or maintaining views to existing phones.
• Provide for view angles at all pedestrian, bicycle and vehicular intersections that are free of visual obstructions including plant materials, signage and parked automobiles.

16. Site Furniture

Standards
A consistency in site furnishings will enhance the visual unity of all districts of the University. Standard benches, tables, trash receptacles, ash urns, bike racks, tree guards and kiosks have been selected for their durability, ease of maintenance and their styling. This furniture has been included in the Technical Appendix to this document. These selections represent the minimum quality standard. The classic simplicity of this furniture will adapt to almost every architectural context. A more contemporary bench alternative has also been selected for unique applications. This alternative will be used selectively and will be subject to the review of the Site Improvement Advisory Team. The standard color for all furniture will be black to compliment the standard light poles and fixtures. Once again, any deviation from the standard color will be reviewed by the Site Improvement Advisory Team for its appropriateness. The exception to the standard color will be the bike racks, which will be galvanized and unpainted. Painted bike racks require heavy maintenance to keep surfaces painted that have been chipped by bicycles and locks.

Placement Process
The location of site furniture throughout campus is the result of new building projects, site improvement projects or the request of University students, staff or faculty. The placement of all furniture will be subject to the review of the Site Improvement Advisory Team. All potential locations will be evaluated to ensure their maximum usage.

Pedestrian circulation patterns throughout campus are constantly changing with the creation of new buildings and site improvements. Therefore, placing furniture in the optimum locations is often difficult. Benches and trash receptacles will be placed in their proposed locations, but not fastened to the pavement. They will be observed in that location for one week to determine their usefulness. If the results are positive, the furniture will be fastened in place. If not, the furniture will be moved to an alternative location where it can be observed again. The following guidelines should be used in the placement of site furniture:

• Group benches at logical gathering spaces such as courtyards, building entries and small respite areas along major circulation paths.
• Avoid locating benches parallel and adjacent to busy pedestrian paths where conflicts may occur.
• Locate benches at the edges of spaces.
• Locate benches with tables in logical student study areas and dormitory courtyards.
• Locate benches with tables at the edges of larger green reserve spaces to avoid visual clutter in the center.
• Provide a minimum of one trash receptacle and one ash urn at all building entries.
• Provide additional trash receptacles and benches in close proximity to vendor locations, food services and dining halls.
• Provide one trash receptacle per every grouping of two to four benches.
• Locate information kiosks at major pedestrian intersections.

17. Paving Materials
In order to enhance the visual unity of the campus and simplify construction and maintenance techniques, a palette of standard paving materials has been established for different use areas. Standard details and specifications for these materials are part of the Technical Appendix of this master plan. The different types of use areas and their individual characteristics are as follows:

Sidewalks
All typical sidewalks throughout campus will be cast-in-place concrete. The minimum width will be six feet and will be built to support University maintenance vehicles. At all sidewalk intersections, a minimum radius of 6’ will be provided to minimize the compaction of lawn areas from corner cutting. In all areas where corner-cutting opportunities exist prior to the intersection, the desired lines for walking should be anticipated and a walk provided.

A few sidewalks will be treated with specialty pavement to reinforce their functional way-finding importance and/or their historical significance. These walks are discussed in more detail in the Sector Design Guidelines. They are the central campus promenade walks, the "Long Walk" of the Oval, and the restored Oval Drive.

Service Drives used as Pedestrian Sidewalks
In many areas, service access drives are used heavily by pedestrians. In all such cases, the space will accommodate the pedestrian as a first priority. To that end, the standard sidewalk material of cast-in-place concrete will be used as the paving surface. While the paving width and radii will accommodate specific service vehicles, score joints in the concrete will be scaled and patterned to reinforce the pedestrian qualities of the space. 

Building Entries and Courtyards
Paving areas at the entrances to buildings and inside of enclosed courtyards represent opportunities to introduce specialty paving into the campus landscape. These materials should be creatively used to complement the architecture and possibly reflect the history or academic mission of that specific building or collection of buildings. The layout of these specialty areas will be reviewed by the University Landscape Architect as to its appropriateness relative to the existing architecture and adjacent outdoor spaces.

Crosswalks
Numerous conflicts exist between pedestrians, bicyclists and automobiles on this urban campus. A more clear delineation of crosswalks is needed to create a safer environment for the entire campus population. Through the use of specialty brick pavement, both vehicles and pedestrians will be alerted to the intersection. These brick paved crosswalks will be contained by 12"-wide cast-in-place concrete bands. The width of these crosswalks will be determined by the width of the approaching concrete sidewalks. Crosswalks will be located where all major pedestrian routes intersect vehicular streets. Safe viewing angles, free of visual obstructions, must be maintained at all crossings. Traffic signage and signals should be installed as necessary.

Streets, Parking Lots and Service Courts
Vehicular streets, parking lots and service courts that are not used as pedestrian throughways will receive asphalt paving. This pavement type will provide sufficient durability with minimal maintenance. Asphalt will also be cost effective, based on the large quantity that is often required. Heavy-duty reinforced concrete will be required in some service court areas where heavy vehicular loads are expected.

Bike Paths
Paths intended exclusively for the use of biking and other active pursuits such as jogging and roller-blading will be constructed of asphalt paving. This pavement type will provide the most flexible and cost effective solution for these long path systems. These paths will typically have a width of 10’-12’ to accommodate the variety of users.

18. Street Tree Placement
Throughout the Design Guidelines for the Sectors of the Study Area (Section 4.3), the spacing of street trees is proposed at 30’ on center to 40’ on center depending on the given street. While it is the intention of this spacing requirement to create the appropriate rhythm and scale for the individual street, it should be understood that this is a guide for planting, and deviation from this spacing will be acceptable under certain conditions. Adjustment will often be necessary to avoid utilities, building entries, intersecting paths and view obstructions at intersections.

Street trees will typically be placed behind the sidewalk, which is integral with the curb throughout most of the urban streets of campus. This will maximize the root zone for these trees in these areas of minimal distance from building face to building face. In urban areas, where the cross section of the street corridor is more generous, a more traditional street tree placement will be utilized with a generous tree lawn between the back of curb and the sidewalk. This approach should be considered if any of the following situations apply:

• Where an urban street lacks the structure of a consistent building setback 
• Where relatively high automobile speeds threaten the safety of pedestrians on the sidewalk
• Where a precedent for this type of street tree placement has been established by the adjacent community

When this approach is used, the width of the tree lawn will be maximized to provide the best growing conditions for the tree. Special non-compactible soil mix, regular aeration and irrigation should also be considered for this type of street tree placement. In areas where excessive foot traffic is expected across the tree lawn, unit pavers can be installed in place of lawn.

19. Fencing, Screen Walls and Pedestrian Control
The proliferation of chain link fence across campus has occurred in order to satisfy many issues, including construction barriers, athletic fences and pedestrian control devices. While this type of fencing is both functional and cost effective, it detracts from the visual quality of the campus and the image of the University.

Great measures have also been taken to further control pedestrian movement with residential scale plant material and bollards with attached chains. These types of pedestrian control devices are unsightly and should be eliminated. The proper location of walkways with adequate radii at the intersections will minimize lawn damage. Occasional reseeding at major pedestrian walkways and intersections should be expected and be part of regular maintenance operations.

In order to enhance the visual quality of the campus, vertical elements that are used for fencing, screening or controlling pedestrians will be categorized and standardized to the same extent as pavement and site furniture. The standard details for these vertical elements are found in the Technical Appendix to this Landscape Master Plan.

Chain-Link Fencing
Chain-link fencing will only be used to enclose tennis and basketball courts, and for outfield fencing and backstops. All chain-link fences will be vinyl-coated in a dark color. The height of these fences will be the minimum required by the particular activity.

Ornamental Fencing
An ornamental iron fence will be utilized in areas where permanent pedestrian control is required and where building edges need to be reinforced. This may include the containment of recreational fields, the establishment of the campus edge along some public street frontages and the sense of enclosure to some courtyard spaces.

• Create a sense of enclosure without creating a perception of an impenetrable barrier by establishing a standard fence height of 54".
• Provide masonry columns at regular intervals to break up long runs of fencing and to visually tie the fence to adjacent architecture.
• Attach fences to existing architecture where possible.
• Provide a flush concrete mow strip at the base of the fence to minimize maintenance.

Construction Fencing
The various building and site improvements, which occur across the campus, create the perception of a place that is continually under repair or construction. Currently, construction sites are typically isolated from pedestrians with chain link fencing. While this provides for pedestrian safety, it fails to visually screen the day to day construction activities from the campus community. A wood fence will provide both a physical and visual separation for the campus community and its visitors. Graphics will be permitted on these wood fences to inform the community of the proposed improvements and the consultants and contractors involved. Creativity should be encouraged in the graphic presentation of the project information.

Screen Walls
Building mechanical equipment, loading docks or any other unsightly utilitarian site elements require a consistent screening treatment. Masonry screen walls will be the preferred method of screening. The material for these walls will match the adjacent architecture. Evergreen plant material may also be used to screen these functions.

20. Priority Landscapes
While it is the intent of this Landscape Master Plan to enhance the quality of all outdoor spaces on campus, some spaces are deserving of special attention due to their unique characteristics, their historical significance, and/or their importance to the image of the University. These spaces represent the identity of the institution and, as such, will be treated with the highest level of care and maintenance. While the importance of these priority landscapes is described below, specific guidelines are discussed in the Sector Design Guidelines (Section 4.3).

The Oval
The Oval is the sacred heart of the University. Its open lawn and mature tree canopy are framed by the University’s most historic architecture. Its central location makes it a popular space for individual and group activities.

Mirror Lake Hollow
One of the few places of the Central Campus where traces of the original landform are still evident is at Mirror Lake Hollow. A gentle swale begins at the Ohio Union and terminates to the west at Mirror Lake. Collectively, the rolling land, the mature tree canopy, Mirror Lake and the historic Browning Amphitheatre represent the unique and picturesque landscape of the University and should be preserved as they exist today with some selected improvements.

High Street Lawn
The large setback of open lawn along the east side of High Street appropriately presents the institutional and collegiate character of the University to the masses of people that are introduced to the campus as they travel along High Street.

Olentangy River Corridor
The Olentangy River is the most significant natural feature on the campus. For many years it has been viewed as an obstacle between central campus and parts west. Future pedestrian connections and public access identified by the Campus Master Plan and the City of Columbus Riverfront Planning Study will turn the river into a major pedestrian spine which will unify the campus and the greater community.

Recreational Fields
The Larkins Recreational Fields and the Midwest Recreational Fields represent the most intensely used Green Reserve spaces on campus. As future building expansion and site improvements continue in the vicinity of these fields, the area left for play will be reduced. The reduction in space limits the ability to modify field layout and minimize the wear on the fields. These fields should be upgraded and maintained at a high level to ensure their use and durability in the future.

The Urban Forest
The tree canopy of the campus is critical to the University image. Its stately and mature qualities reflect the long heritage of the place and complement the institutionally-scaled architecture. The health of this urban forest must always be a high priority.

Future Priorities
As future improvements occur as a result of the Campus Master Plan and the Landscape Master Plan, some new spaces will potentially become high priority landscapes. The Lane Avenue Parkway from State Route 315 to the Olentangy River will be the most heavily used entrance to the University and, consequently, the most visible. The conversion of the Stadium parking lot to the Stadium Green will establish the fore lawn to the most recognizable piece of University architecture: Ohio Stadium. Lastly, the River of Trees will provide the critical green space connection from Mirror Lake Hollow to the Olentangy River and, in so doing, create a unique expression of landscape as art.

4.3 Design Guidelines for Sectors of the Study Area
The following design guidelines are intended as more detailed overlays to the sectors identified in section 4.3 of the District Plan for the Academic Core North (Volume III of the Campus Master Plan). In addition to these eighteen sectors are the North Residence Halls, the South Residence Halls and the Campus Edges. The locations of these individual sectors are found in figure 4.3-1. Images of the Vision Plan, street cross-sections and character sketches are found throughout this section to graphically support the design guidelines.

Study Area Sectors. (image)

1. High Street
High Street is the historic "front door" to the University. University buildings are typically set back a generous 150’ from the sidewalk, with broad open lawn and informally planted high canopy trees creating a gracious, institutional edge to the Campus. This edge is particularly striking because of the contrast with the surrounding city land use, which is primarily densely developed and aging commercial and multi-family residential. Plans are currently underway by Campus Partners to upgrade the east side of High Street, including sidewalk, signage, storefront and lighting improvements. Coordination between the University and Campus Partners is critical to maintaining this contrast of the urban edge on the east and the collegiate edge on the west, while also unifying the pedestrian crossing system.

Over time, the integrity of the University’s historical green lawn along High Street has been interrupted by the addition of various hardscape materials for walkways, raised planters, vehicular access, parking and service areas. Lighting is primarily from cobra-head city fixtures in the middle of the 12’ wide sidewalk. 

Large setbacks exist along the College Road side of many of these buildings as well. This creates an island of green space around these institutional buildings. These buildings should be unified by consistently treating the landscape that surrounds them. This will be accomplished through a consistent use of materials including plantings, paving, furniture and light fixtures.

While it is important to maintain a consistent character on all sides of these High Street buildings, the High Street frontage will receive highest priority. The high visibility of this public edge requires that a strict building setback be obeyed and that the tree canopy and lawns be maintained at the highest level. The west building faces of College Road receive more pedestrian use and have a more irregular setback. Future buildings and/or expansions may affect this setback, but the park-like character of this edge should be preserved as much as possible.

High Street – Lane Avenue to West 17th Avenue.

Design Guidelines

• Maintain a pristine lawn through proper seed mix, maintenance and irrigation.
• Plant large shade trees in an informal arrangement in lawn areas. Maintain high canopies and selectively prune to provide filtered light for healthy lawns.
• Reinforce views to building entries and special architectural features with proper tree placement. Densely plant trees where appropriate to conceal views to service areas and parking garages.
• Construct new concrete walks with a minimum width of 6’ to meet desired lines between campus and the High Street sidewalk. Walks will be diagonal and direct from building entries.
• Anticipate "corner cutting" movements with large radii walks at major pedestrian intersections (e.g. 18th Avenue and High Street), thereby eliminating the need for small evergreen shrubs and bollards with chains to control pedestrian movement.
• Utilize brick crosswalks at major intersections along High Street to direct pedestrians and slow traffic. Major intersections occur at 11th Avenue, 12th Avenue, 15th Avenue, Woodruff Avenue, and Lane Avenue. These crosswalks will be coordinated with future crosswalks along the east side of High Street. The street corners will receive additional specialty pavement to accommodate larger groups of people waiting to cross. These gathering spaces will be predominantly brick with concrete banding and include benches, trash receptacles and newspaper racks. Smaller high maintenance plant material will be discouraged in favor of tree canopy and lawn.
• Provide a 12’- wide integral sidewalk along the west edge of High Street to accommodate the high volume of pedestrian traffic moving north and south. 
• Locate the standard University street light and pole at the back of the curb and space consistently to properly illuminate the vehicular surface. The standard University pedestrian light and pole will be placed more informally throughout the open lawn.

High Street at Ramseyer Hall Looking North.

• Eliminate Curl Drive in its current configuration. Service will be redirected in the North Residence Halls (see North Residence Halls Design Guidelines). The current Curl Drive configuration leaves little green space along the High Street frontage. This corner represents one of the most visible edges of the University to the community as vehicles approach from the north on High Street. While the complete relocation of Curl Drive may be in the somewhat distant future, significant improvements could be made to this critical High Street frontage in the near short term. Relocating the existing tennis courts to a hardscape area along the south side of Lane Avenue will allow Curl Drive to be moved to the west towards Raney Commons, which will maximize the green setback. In addition, as structured parking is added throughout campus, the parking lot located to the east of Taylor Tower can be eliminated and returned to green space until, and if, it becomes necessary to develop it as a building site.

High Street at Curl Drive Looking North.

• Terminate College Road at Woodruff Avenue with an improved pedestrian green space that takes advantage of the elimination of the Curl Drive curb cut.
• Respect the existing trees that were part of the original University Woods on the southeast corner of College Road and Woodruff Avenue. This can be accomplished with a conservative expansion to Ramseyer Hall as opposed to a separate building as proposed by the Campus Master Plan. The expansion will consider site lines along 19th Avenue, which terminate at Ramseyer Hall as well as acknowledge the street intersection.
• Reestablish 17th Avenue and 18th Avenue as streets which historically crossed College Road and intersected with High Street. Recreating these streetscapes will enhance the urban character of the campus and strengthen the linkage to areas east of High Street.
  • 17th Avenue between College Road and High Street will continue the spacing of street trees and light fixtures from 17th Avenue to the west. Vehicular traffic will be restricted at the far east end to service vehicles and Mershon short-term visitors. The balance of this section of 17th Avenue will be restricted to pedestrians, bicycles and emergency/service vehicles. The pavement will have a width of 24’ and be constructed of concrete. The surface will be flush and scoring patterns will be used to delineate the symbolic sidewalks on the edges with the street down the center. Standard University bollards should be used at both ends. Benches and trash receptacles will also be provided along the north side of the street. Relocate the art piece in the center of this urban street. 
  • 18th Avenue in the High Street Park will continue the character of the street from the west with its spacing of trees, light fixtures, street furnishings, pavement width and paving material. The street will continue to be restricted to pedestrians, bicycles and emergency vehicles from College Road to the Garage B entrance. From this point to High Street, 18th Avenue will assume a road profile of 8’- wide integral concrete curb and walkways along each side with a 24’ asphalt driving surface. The rhythm of trees, lights and furniture should continue to the intersection of High Street.

High Street – The Wexner Center Block.

• Establish the Wexner Center for the Arts site renovation as a high priority improvement project as a result of its intense use and visibility.
• Improve and enhance the presence of the Wexner Center along High Street.
• Coordinate with Wexner Center planning efforts.
• Study the functional and aesthetic qualities of the Wexner Center environs through a formalized design process.
• Consider the modification of the planter plinths on the northeast and northwest sides of the building. Few pedestrians pass through the confining corridors created by the plinths. The plinths nearest to High Street that are not part of subsurface conditioned space could become open lawn panels. The geometry of the plinths could be preserved in the form of these panels. Large shade trees could then be informally placed in these panels for continuity with the High Street lawn. The plinths nearest to College Road are also not part of subsurface conditioned space and could be redesigned to be more inviting to pedestrians. Lowering the plinths to a seat wall height would maintain the three-dimensional architectural form while creating a comfortable pedestrian environment.
• Reduce a large amount of unnecessary pavement along High Street by minimizing the south curb cut near the Mershon entry. The existing accessible parking spaces can be relocated to the service drive as parallel parking spaces if accessible spaces in the garages to the north and south are deemed too remote. This area can then be returned to lawn and shade trees.

Wexner Center service drive treatment along high street.

• Remove 15th Avenue Gateway tree bosque that is in poor health and blocks views to the Oval.
• Remove failed paving system in 15th Avenue Plaza.
• Coordinate 15th Avenue Gateway treatment with Campus Partners Plaza treatment on east side of High Street.
• Provide pedestrian promenades to The Oval along the edge of 15th Avenue Plaza, while accommodating event crowds and assemblies in the center of the space with hardscape and lawn.
• Frame the view through the 15th Avenue Plaza by restricting trees to the edges of the space.
• Reinforce grid patterns established by the Wexner Center architecture through the placement of the perimeter trees and through subtle patterning in the base plane of the 15th Avenue Plaza.
• Preserve the historic gateway columns along High Street. Prohibit the display of banners, graphics or advertisements on these columns.
• Renovate the lawn panel which exists on the west end of the plaza with new soil, drainage, sod and irrigation. It is under-utilized and has several maintenance problems as a result of having poor soil and drainage on top of the film theatre.
• Connect the existing parking garage south of Sullivant Hall to the plaza and the Wexner Center with a direct walk.

The 15^th Avenue Gateway.

High Street – Ohio Union Parking Garage to West 11th Avenue.

• Reduce the width of the curb cut and the excessively large curve radii at the Ohio Union Parking Garage entry from High Street in order to maximize the green frontage.
• Increase visibility and improve pedestrian access to the front door of the Ohio Union by removing the driveway and metered parking along the east side of the building. Replace driveway with a 12’ concrete path which can be utilized by emergency and service vehicles.
• Eliminate parking along 12th Avenue and on the west side of the Drinko Hall Law Building as structure parking becomes available throughout campus. 
• Restrict all future buildings from extending beyond adjacent building facades into the green buffer along High Street. Between Arps Hall and Ramseyer Hall, any proposed building should not extend beyond Arps Hall, allowing the facade of Ramseyer to extend slightly farther toward the street.
• Light buildings to highlight entries and significant architectural features. Light garages to illuminate the entry and exit without illuminating the garage facade.

Lane Avenue - West of State Route 315
As one approaches from the west, the first introduction to the University occurs just east of North Star Road as land uses change from commercial strip retail to open field. This far west area of campus has historically been used by the College of Food, Agricultural and Environmental Sciences for research and education. The Waterman Agricultural and Natural Resources Laboratory along the north side is part of the Green Reserve and will be preserved indefinitely for further research and educational pursuits. The new recreational park along the south side of Lane Avenue will also be maintained as part of the Green Reserve. These two open green spaces are critical to the preservation of the character of this historic prairie landscape. The location of this segment of Lane Avenue, between two spaces of the Green Reserve, establishes it as a parkway as defined under spatial hierarchies. 

Lane Avenue ­ Looking West at Waterman Agricultural & Natural Resources Laboratory.

Design Guidelines

• Create a consistent rural edge treatment along the Lane Avenue frontage of the Waterman Agricultural and Natural Resources Laboratory. Establish a 100’ minimum setback to all gardens, test plots and grazing areas. This setback will consist of open lawn with informal long-lived shade trees toward the rear of the setback. Plantings should be informally placed and grouped to screen and channel views. A 10’-12’- wide gently sweeping asphalt bike/pedestrian path will gracefully move people from west to east. This path will be an average distance of 15’ from the back of the curb to insure its maximum usage. Where fences are required for grazing animals, a three-rail horse fence of natural color should be used. In order to portray the institutional qualities of the University, brick piers should be introduced at corners of the fence and at regular intervals of 100’.
• Establish a rural edge treatment along the south side of Lane Avenue. Between the existing bowling alley to the west and Carmack Road, a building setback will be established that is consistent with the building that exists there today. This setback will then mirror the treatment along the north side with open lawn and a 10’-12’ -wide sweeping asphalt path. Large shade trees will be informally placed predominantly towards the rear of the setback. Trees should be grouped to frame and screen views.
• Modify the formal placement of the double row of street trees along the recreational fields between Carmack Road and Kenny Road. Not only would a more informal placement of trees be more consistent with the Lane Avenue corridor from North Star to Olentangy River Road, but strategic groupings of shade trees would channel long vistas to the Central Campus landmarks and the downtown Columbus skyline. These informal plantings should also be used to form additional wind screening at the edges of the Recreational Fields.

Lane Avenue State - Route 315 to the Olentangy River.

Lane Avenue - State Route 315 to the Olentangy River
The State Route 315/Lane Avenue Interchange serves as the primary access point to the University for students, staff, faculty and visitors approaching from the north and south. In addition, it acts as an internal campus threshold as people move east along Lane Avenue toward the river. With such high visibility, the zone between the interchange and the river will become an entry parkway that celebrates the arrival at the University. The landscape of this zone will maintain a pastoral character, yet become more ordered than the parkway to the west, and be maintained at a higher level. A variety of buildings with different uses exists in
this zone with particular emphasis on the Schottenstein Center, which dominates in scale and attracts the greatest number of visitors.

Lane Avenue Parkway ­ Looking East from Fyffe Road.

Design Guidelines

• Maintain open lawn in this parkway zone as well, but with a higher degree of maintenance required than that of the rural setback to the west.
• Plant formal groves of trees in the State Route 315 infield areas to create contrast with the bucolic highway landscape treatment.
• Plant staggered double row of street trees at 50’ on center along both sides of Lane Avenue.
• Provide a continuous 10’-12’-wide walk between the double row of street trees and 15’ from back of curb.
• Informally plant long-lived shade trees to reinforce parkway characteristics and to screen and control view corridors.
• Coordinate with Chadwick Arboretum Planning efforts.
• Reinforce pedestrian crossings at Lane Avenue/Fyffe Road and Lane Avenue/Olentangy River Road with specialty brick paving to accommodate large event pedestrian flows.
• Visually link Chadwick Arboretum Gardens from the northwest corner of Fyffe Road and Lane Avenue to the southeast corner with the use of paving patterns, consistent plant materials and signage.
• Maintain the Conifer Garden along the north face of the Agricultural Engineering Building to screen views of the service functions which exist on the north edge of that building.
• Respect the setback established by the Schottenstein Center on the north and by the Agricultural Administration Building on the south in the placement of future buildings.
• As land to the north of Lane Avenue and to the west of Fyffe Road is developed further by Chadwick Arboretum, consider relocating some of the Lane Avenue Gardens to this area. The small display gardens to the north and east of the Agricultural Engineering Buildings, which are more intimate in scale and texture, should be located in a place where they can be most enjoyed by the University and the public. The current location is very exposed to the noise and high speed of Lane Avenue traffic.
• Provide 8’- wide path connections to the gardens and the athletic facilities from existing surface parking lots to the south, which will become a parking structure over time. These walks will direct pedestrians toward the logical crossing points at Fyffe Road and Olentangy River Road.
• Reinforce the parkway as an entry zone with standard University ornamental lights and poles with banners to announce the University and alert the public of any upcoming events.

Lane Avenue - Olentangy River to High Street
The existing Lane Avenue bridge is scheduled to be replaced by a wider, more pedestrian friendly, suspension bridge. The design of this bridge will enhance the sense of threshold between the pastoral landscape to the west and the urban landscape to the east. Large columns will support the structure in the center and act as a gateway into the urban campus. 

Lane Avenue - Olentangy River to High Street.

Design Guidelines

• Provide a 7’-wide zone of specialty paving and tree grates along the south side of Lane Avenue. A special structural soil mix should be used for the street trees in this zone.
• Plant a staggered double row of street trees along the south side of Lane Avenue at 40’ on center. Plant trees along the curb edge in tree grates. Plant trees on the south side of the walk in large parking lot islands.
• Provide a continuous 8’ walk between the double row of street trees. This walk will abut the specialty paving to create a continuous 15’-wide pedestrian zone.
• Provide a black, ornamental iron fence with brick piers along the south side of the walk to separate pedestrians from the parking area.
• Consider preserving the pier and fence as the parking areas are transformed into building sites over time. The pier and fence could define courtyard spaces in front of the future buildings and provide a unifying element along the Lane Avenue Frontage.
• Plant trees at 40’ on center in a tree lawn along the north side of Lane Avenue.
• Provide a continuous 8’ walk along the north side of street and 7’ from the back of curb.
• Light the vehicular surface and the pedestrian routes to appropriate levels with the standard University light fixtures and poles.
• Reduce the walk to 6’ width and a minimum of 6’ from back of curb along the north side of Lane Avenue, east of Neil Avenue. Preserve existing shade trees and continue additional street tree planting at 40’ on center.

Lane Avenue - Looking West at St. John Arena.

Campus Gateways. (image)

3. Campus Entries and Gateways
There are many points of entry into The Ohio State University campus from all of its adjacent neighborhoods. At every point where visitors, staff, faculty and students enter campus, the landscape should introduce the University as a special institutional place. Each entry has its own unique context relative to streets, greenspace and structures. Therefore, each point of entry should be considered individually while still part of an overall campus system of entries.

This master plan identifies sixteen gateways into the campus. All of these gateways can be categorized into one of the following five types of entry treatments: Architectural Entries, Historic Entries, Green Entries Rural Entries and Science and Technology Entries. In addition, the Entry Parkway is a sixth type of entry experience with unique functional and spatial qualities.

A typical gateway treatment currently exists at Tuttle Park Place and Lane Avenue, Woodruff Avenue and High Street, 12th Avenue and High Street and King Avenue and Cannon Drive. It consists of masonry stone walls, pre-cast concrete seats, concrete pavers and residential scale plantings. The composition and materials of these gateways are residential in scale and do not reflect the stately qualities of the University. These gateways should be removed at such time that replacement gateways could be implemented.

Architectural Entries
These entries will be articulated through the use of existing or proposed buildings. Building masses will address their respective intersections and channel vehicles and pedestrians into the campus. Plaza spaces at these architectural entries will become points of gathering for those waiting to cross the street as well as for those entering the buildings. Two architectural entries will exist at Lane Avenue and Tuttle Park Place, and at Lane Avenue and Neil Avenue. Brick sidewalks bordered by concrete bands will help define pedestrian movement and enhance the sense of gateway at both of these busy intersections. At the Lane Avenue and Tuttle Park Place intersection a pedestrian scale sign will introduce "The Ohio State University". The sign will be placed on the southwest corner of the intersection and perpendicular to Lane Avenue to provide maximum visibility. The sign should be set cleanly in the plaza as part of a masonry wall, planter and/or a monoculture of low plantings. The elegant simplicity of the sign should reflect the stately institution that it represents. Residential scale, high maintenance plantings will be avoided.

The historic gateway columns at 15th Avenue and High Street.

Historic Entries
Two historic entry features exist that should be preserved. The gateway columns at 15th Avenue represent the major historic gateway to campus and should be preserved as part of the re-designed 15th Avenue Gateway Plaza. A smaller set of entry columns exists at the intersection of 11th Avenue and Neil Avenue. While University buildings exist further to the south along Neil Avenue, this intersection represents the point at which visitors become enveloped by the Campus. Attempts to mimic these columns in other places on campus should be discouraged in order to avoid diluting the significance of these historical markers. Brick crosswalks bordered by concrete bands will help define pedestrian movement and enhance the sense of gateway at both of these intersections. The display of banners, graphics and advertisements from these columns should be prohibited.

A green entry at west 11th and High Street.

Green Entries
A number of entry points exist which present the campus in a subtle yet very institutional manner. Those areas where a vehicle or pedestrian experiences a sharp transition from a very urban environment to the green collegiate lawn should be enhanced. This should be achieved by creating open views to well maintained, irrigated lawns with high canopy shade trees. These lawns will be the front yards to the University buildings beyond. The following are examples of Green Entries: Lane Avenue and High Street, Woodruff Avenue and High Street, 12th Avenue and High Street, 11th Avenue and High Street, John Herrick Drive and Olentangy River Road, Cannon Drive and King Avenue and Ackerman Road and Olentangy River Road. 

With the announcement of the University being made primarily with the contrast of the collegiate lawn to the urban context, additional articulation will be simple and understated. Brick sidewalks bordered by concrete bands will help define pedestrian movement and enhance the sense of gateway at all of these busy intersections. Vehicular scale signs will be placed in the open lawn areas. These signs will not be decorated with residential scale, high maintenance plants, but rather set cleanly in the lawn area. They will be mounted in a flush concrete pad that will allow maintenance crews to easily maintain the lawn around them. A single sign at Lane Avenue and High Street will be mounted on the southwest corner and oriented toward the intersection. A single sign face will also be oriented toward the intersection of 11th Avenue and High Street from the northwest corner. Double sign faces at Woodruff Avenue and at 12th Avenue will be placed on the northwest corners and perpendicular to High Street to maximize visibility to those traveling north or south on High Street. At John Herrick Drive and Olentangy River Road a single sign face will occupy the northwest corner and be oriented toward the intersection. At Ackerman Road and Olentangy River Road a single sign face will be oriented toward the intersection from the southwest corner. At Cannon Drive and King Avenue, a double sign face will be perpendicular to King Avenue on the northwest corner. This will provide maximum visibility to those traveling east or west on King Avenue.

A rural entry into Campus along Lane Avenue east of North Star Road.

Rural Entries 
Rural Entries are very similar to the Green Entries in that they also announce the University with a setback of open lawn. These lawns however, are part of the rural theme of West Campus. Areas west of State Route 315 will not be maintained at the same high level as the collegiate lawns of Central Campus. These entries will be at Lane Avenue, east of the existing bowling alley, as well as at the intersection of Ackerman Road and Kenny Road. Signage will be treated with the same simplicity as the Green Entries. At Lane Avenue just east of the existing bowling alley a single sign panel will be placed along the south side, and perpendicular to Lane Avenue. A single sign panel will be oriented toward the intersection of Ackerman Road and Kenny Road from the southeast corner. 

Science and Technology Entries
Entries to the Science and Technology Campus will be treated as rural entries but differentiate themselves through the articulation of the entry sign. The character of these signs should communicate the cutting edge research mission of this area of campus by blending the prairie aesthetic with the high-tech appearance of it’s facilities. This type of treatment should be implemented at the northeast, northwest and southwest corners of the Kinnear Road and Kenny Road intersection and at the northeast and southeast corners of the intersection of North Star Road and Kinnear Road. 

Entry Parkway
One campus entry experience is unique as a result of its spatial qualities, location and function. The segment of Lane Avenue Parkway from the State Route 315 interchange to the Lane Avenue Bridge serves as the primary vehicular access into campus. This linear parkway space will celebrate the arrival at the University by creating a transition from the pastoral landscape to the urban landscape. A formal rhythm of street trees, light fixtures and banners marching through a bucolic landscape of open lawn, gently curving walks and informal trees will lead to a gateway to the urban campus at the Lane Avenue Bridge. Refer to the Lane Avenue sector for design guidelines.
 

4. Woodruff Avenue/Woody Hayes Drive
Woodruff Avenue/Woody Hayes Drive is the most critical internal vehicular and pedestrian linkage from Central Campus to Midwest Campus and on to West Campus. As previous master planning efforts predict, future development to the west will increase the numbers of people moving east and west along this corridor.

Woody Hayes Drive ­ State Route 315 to Tuttle Park Place.

As people move along this corridor, four distinct spaces will be experienced as a result of building placement and landscape treatment. Starting at Kenny Road, one will travel east along Woody Hayes Drive, an urban boulevard, between the urban edges of the Midwest Campus buildings. This creates a contrast to the open experience of the river corridor. This is followed by the monumental event of the Stadium Green and finally the arrival at the urban street which is Woodruff Avenue.

Design Guidelines

• Define the Urban Boulevard, west of the river, with large deciduous street trees placed 40’ on center on both sides of the street and within the median. This canopy will provide shaded comfort for pedestrians and act as a natural traffic-calming device. 10’- wide concrete sidewalks along both sides of the street will be integral to the curb with trees placed behind. The standard University light fixture will be placed along both sides of the street at a spacing which provides safe lighting levels for vehicles and pedestrians. Honeylocust trees currently exist in the median west of Fyffe Road. They should be continued in the median from Fyffe Road to the bridge.
• Utilize specialty brick crosswalks to direct pedestrians and slow traffic at the intersection of Fyffe Road and Woody Hayes Drive. The street corners will receive additional specialty brick pavement to accommodate larger groups of people waiting to cross Fyffe Road or Woody Hayes Drive. Include benches, trash receptacles, and newspaper racks at these gathering spaces.
• Emphasize the special event of the Olentangy River as pedestrians and vehicles move farther east along Woody Hayes Drive. The future replacement of the Woody Hayes Bridge should consider the unique visual qualities of the river in its design.
  • Consider a concrete abutment west of Olentangy River Road in lieu of the earthen embankment which currently supports the bridge along the west side of the river. This will create a single, longer span and will significantly open up views to the river, particularly from Olentangy River Road.
  • Create a void with a minimum dimension of 10’ between the eastbound lanes and the westbound lanes. This will act as a light well for the spaces below the bridge.
• Continue the 10’- wide sidewalks along the north and south sides of Woody Hayes Drive across the new bridge.

Woody Hayes Drive Looking West at Midwest Campus.

• Return to the regular pattern of street trees and light fixtures along the north side of Woody Hayes Drive as it passes the Stadium Green. Trees along the south side will be planted informally within the Stadium Green to frame views to the Stadium. The median will then be used as an opportunity for art. Specialty pavement will be used in this median to accommodate the heavy pedestrian traffic of sporting events. Crosswalks of specialty paving will extend across Woody Hayes Drive at the major north/south Woody Hayes pedestrian routes. This linear art piece should celebrate the rich tradition of athletics at the University. 10’ wide concrete walks will continue along both sides of the street and will terminate at the plaza at Tuttle Park Place.
• Transition Woody Hayes Drive from a divided street to a standard alignment without a median west of the Tuttle Park Place intersection as opposed to east of the intersection as shown in the Campus Master Plan. This will reinforce the threshold into an urban streetscape from the monumental stadium Green Space. It will also simplify the intersection and create a safer pedestrian crossing.

Woodruff Avenue ­ Tuttle Park Place to High Street. (full size)

• Further emphasize the threshold at the intersection of Tuttle Park Place and Woodruff Avenue with the architecture of the Fisher College of Business and the new Austin E. Knowlton School of Architecture. Specialty paving at the street corners will be large enough to accommodate the large numbers of pedestrians that will be crossing this intersection. The number of people will increase as parking structures are added south of Lane Avenue. The paving pattern will engage the gateway architecture and respond to the urban grid which occurs north and south of Woodruff Avenue. Paving materials will be predominantly brick and complement the colors of the adjacent architecture.
• Emphasize the unique streetscape of Woodruff Avenue between Tuttle Park Place and High Street that consists of urban building faces with a narrow setback along the north side and an irregular, gracious setback along the south side.
• Treat the green space along the south side with informally planted high canopy deciduous trees within a maintained lawn. Tree spacing must emphasize important architectural features of the north green while concealing less desirable views of service areas. A rhythm of sun and shade will be provided by informally placing trees behind the 10’ wide integral curb and walk.

Woodruff Avenue Looking West.

• Continue the formal urban streetscape treatment of shade trees spaced at 40’ on center along the north side of Woodruff Avenue . These trees will be placed behind the 10’ wide concrete walk which will be integral to the curb of Woodruff Avenue. The standard University light fixture will be placed along both sides of the street at a spacing which provides safe lighting levels for vehicles and pedestrians.
• Improve major north/south pedestrian crossings along this segment of Woodruff Avenue. Specialty brick crosswalks, contained with concrete bands, will be used to direct pedestrians and to slow traffic at the North Green, Fisher College of Business, Neil Avenue, and College Road. The width of these crossings will be determined by the width of the walks which lead up to them. The north/south path which connects Jones Graduate Tower to Woodruff Avenue will not receive a crossing in order to encourage pedestrians to cross at the North Green or College Road. This will help separate the conflict of a pedestrian crossing from a bus stop which will continue to exist in this location. Traffic control devices such as stop signs and traffic signals will be used, as necessary, along Woodruff Avenue to ensure pedestrian safety.

5. 17th Avenue Pedestrian Connection to West Campus
One of the most critical factors in strengthening the connection between Central Campus and the Midwest Campus is the creation of the 17th Avenue Pedestrian Connection. It will begin at Larkins Hall, pass by the south end of Ohio Stadium, cross the Olentangy River and end at Midwest Campus.

17^th Avenue Pedestrian Connector. (full size)

Design Guidelines

• Create a 24’- wide pedestrian promenade beginning at Larkins Hall, connecting to the future Stadium Plaza, and terminating at the River levee. Paving materials and patterns will be consistent with those used in the Stadium Plaza.
• Reinforce the east/west pedestrian movement and provide a vegetative base to the monumental stadium with formal tree placement along the promenade.
• Continue the pedestrian promenade across Cannon Drive as a crosswalk. Traffic control signage will also announce this crossing.
• Cut a stair tower into the levee bank just west of Cannon Drive. Provide the transition to the bridge level with this structure. Make the tower accessible to the north with a walk which accesses the top of the levee at a slope of less than 5%.
• Create a second freestanding stair tower along the west bank of the Olentangy River. Because of the lack of usable ground in this area of the west bank, accessible walks to the bridge level may not be possible from the north or south. Define a clear crosswalk of the same material and pattern as the pedestrian promenade at the intersection of Olentangy River Road and Vernon Tharp Street which will lead to the end of the pedestrian bridge.
• Span Olentangy River Road and terminate the pedestrian walk at grade level at the approximate center of Midwest Campus along Vernon Tharp Street. A plaza at a future parking structure will be a logical place for the pedestrian connector to meet grade, creating a convenient pedestrian connection back to Central Campus for motorists. This plaza will continue the same pedestrian promenade paving material and pattern that was previously established on the east side of the river.

6. Neil Avenue
Historically, Neil Avenue was a major vehicular and pedestrian connection to central campus from residential communities to the north and south. As the University has evolved, vehicular patterns have changed throughout the campus. The result is a series of disjointed segments along Neil Avenue that are either restricted to pedestrians, restricted to authorized vehicles, or open to all vehicles and pedestrians. The aesthetic quality of these segments is equally disjointed as one passes from an urban streetscape to a pedestrian mall and back again to another streetscape which is treated differently than the first. Regardless of the vehicular and pedestrian uses of each segment of Neil Avenue, attempts should be made to restore a consistent street character for Neil Avenue from Lane Avenue on the north to 11th Avenue on the south.

Neil Avenue. (full size)

Design Guidelines

• Treat Neil Avenue from Lane Avenue to Frambes as a typical urban streetscape with a 24’- wide asphalt pavement section for vehicles and 8’- wide concrete sidewalks on both sides of the street integral with the curb. Standard ornamental light fixtures will be staggered along Neil Avenue at a spacing which meets the light level requirements of the University. Street trees will have a typical spacing of 30’ on center.
• Continue the typical streetscape treatment south of West Frambes Avenue to Woodruff Avenue. This segment of Neil Avenue will be restricted to pedestrians and emergency/service vehicles. As a result the street width will be reduced to 16’ and made flush with the adjacent 8’ walks. The street surface will also become concrete at this point. Scoring patterns will articulate "the street" from "the sidewalk". Focus views to an architectural feature at the entrance to the proposed Physical Sciences building in the foreground, while also maintaining a long vista to the Main Library.

Neil Avenue Looking North Between West Frambes Avenue & Woodruff Avenue.

• Consider the safety of pedestrians at every street intersection along Neil Avenue. The intersection at Lane Avenue will continue to be signalized and receive brick crosswalks. Brick crosswalks will also articulate the crossings at both of the Neil Avenue crossings at Woodruff. At these two locations, traffic signs will be used to stop vehicular traffic. In addition, the intersections at 19th Avenue, 18th Avenue, 17th Avenue, 12th Avenue and 11thAvenue will receive brick crosswalks and traffic control signage, as necessary, to control vehicular movement.
• Reduce curb radii at the Neil Avenue intersection with 12th Avenue to minimize vehicular speeds and create safer pedestrian crossings.
• Enhance the Neil and Woodruff pedestrian plaza, which physically and visually links pedestrians from the south side of Woodruff to the amphitheatre space at the Fisher College of Business on the north. Provide continuous specialty pavement across Woodruff Avenue to accommodate large volumes of pedestrians. Reinforce the relationship of the plaza to its north terminus, the Fisher College of Business tower, through paving pattern and color. Locate benches, trash receptacles, lighting, newspaper racks and mobile vendors along the perimeter of the plaza and away from the main circulation pattern.
• Treat the pedestrian street from the plaza at Woodruff Avenue south to 19th Avenue with the same characteristics as the pedestrian street north of Woodruff Avenue with 32’ of flush concrete scored to delineate the 16’- wide street from the 8’ wide sidewalks. Street trees will march down each side of the street 30’ on center, along with the staggered University light fixtures.
• Maintain an unobstructed vista looking south from the College of Business down Neil Avenue. The east face of the existing parking garage should be clad in brick and/or receive additional plantings for screening.
• Provide brick crosswalks at the intersection of 19th Avenue where Neil Avenue becomes a vehicular street again.
• Reduce the unnecessarily wide Neil Avenue street cross-section from 19th Avenue to 17th Avenue with a 16’ asphalt drive lane, an 8’- wide asphalt parallel parking lane along the west side of the street and 8’- wide concrete walks integral with the curb. This new cross-section will reduce vehicular speeds along this segment of Neil Avenue and create a consistent treatment along the primary vehicular route of central campus which includes one-way circulation west on 19th Avenue, south on Neil Avenue to 17th Avenue, then east to College Road.
• Retain the pedestrian plaza along the west side of the street, in front of Dreese Laboratory and Baker Systems, to maintain flexibility for pedestrian movement.
• Place trees in tree grates in the Baker Systems pedestrian plaza at 30’ on center. Interrupt regular street tree plantings along the west side at 18th Avenue to announce the sloping lawn of the Cockins Hall lawn. Treat this lawn with informally placed large shade trees that frame the Cockins Hall entry.

Neil Avenue Looking North Between 18^th Avenue & 17^th Avenue.

• Establish a street profile with a 24’ asphalt drive lane, an 8’ parallel parking lane and 8’ concrete walks between 17th Avenue and 12th Avenue. The west edge will continue the regular street tree plantings to strengthen the urban edge formed by the existing building facades. The east edge will be informal with large shade trees placed in the open lawn of University Hall, the Oval and Mirror Lake Hollow. Existing large shade trees in this area should be maintained and pruned to allow filtered light to the open lawn. The staggered pattern of light fixtures will continue along this segment of Neil Avenue.
• Consider the use of traffic signs or other alternative traffic control devices at 17th Avenue and South Oval Drive in lieu of the access gates, which are visual and physical barriers through the heart of the campus. Reconsider levels of vehicular restriction, and designated time periods for this restriction, and implement the appropriate traffic control system.
• Interrupt the Neil Avenue streetscape with the Mirror Lake/River of Trees connection. Reinforce pedestrian movement across Neil Avenue with specialty paving. Provide an expanded pedestrian overlook to Mirror Lake along the east side of Neil Avenue.
• Establish or strengthen the tree lawn and street trees south of 12th Avenue to visually unify this area with the neighborhood to the south. Place trees in grates along the commercial east side of Neil Avenue from 11th Avenue to 9th Avenue. Interrupt the regular pattern of street trees at the park space in front of the James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute along the west side of Neil Avenue.

7. The Oval
The Oval is the major gathering space for the University community and represents the heart of the campus to most members of the community and to visitors. Restoration of The Oval should be a high landscape priority for the University. Over time, the historic oval perimeter drive has been closed to most traffic, walkways have been added, views and access have been cut off from High Street, and earth mounds, street furniture and plantings of various types have been added in an attempt to control and direct pedestrian traffic. 

The oval.

Design Guidelines

• Restore the historic Oval Drive as a broad pedestrian promenade. A 16’ wide "street" will be flanked by flush 12" curbs and 8’- wide walks. High quality materials such as brick, granite and cut stone should be used as specialty paving. Vehicular traffic and parking will typically be prohibited except for emergency and limited maintenance access.
• Provide for short term or special permit parking at the Faculty Club for special guests of the University. A continuous access route could be provided along South Oval Drive to the promenade between the Faculty Club and Orton Hall and along the service drive behind the South Oval Drive buildings to College Road. This service drive could also have a parallel-parking lane along it to accommodate short-term visitor parking.
• Control vehicular traffic at the Oval Drive intersections with Neil Avenue and College Road with standard University removable bollards.
• Establish entry plazas in front of all buildings that face the Oval. These plazas will be consistent in their form and use of materials. The width of these entries will respond to the facade of the given building.
• Terminate entry plazas and other major walkways from outside of Oval Drive with a semicircular space on the inside of Oval Drive. These collector spaces will be treated consistently around the Oval in size, form and material. Multiple Oval walkways will also terminate at these collector spaces. Brick seat walls with stone caps will define the space and provide convenient seating outside the main circulation route. These seat walls will also funnel traffic and preserve the edges of the lawn. All low shrubs and bollards with chains will be eliminated as pedestrian controlling devices. Cut stone medallions in the center of each plaza will be used as art opportunities to portray major events that have shaped the University over time.
• Continue the standard 12’ wide, brick-banded Pedestrian Connector, which originates in the North Green, across the Oval. This standard path treatment will continue south along both sides of Orton Hall, through Mirror Lake Hollow and the South Residence Halls, to 11th Avenue. All other Oval paths will be concrete and 8’ in width, with the exception of the long walk which follows the east/west axis of The Oval. This walk will also be 12’ in width and be constructed of large unit pavers of natural materials. The paving should complement or match the existing cut stone treatment at the entry to the Main Library. This material will be in scale with the monumental architecture of the Library and consistent with its history. The locations of walkways across the Oval will be evaluated and realigned to reinforce existing pedestrian patterns.
• Create circular nodes of specialty paving along the long walk where multiple paths connect.
• Restore the Oval Lawn with drains and irrigation as required to assist with the high quality maintenance for this heavily used space. Upgrade the lawn including seed mix and soil mix to maximize durability (See Technical Appendix for lawn specifications).
• Limb up and maintain tree canopies to open views to Oval architecture and to allow filtered light through to the lawn. Remove trees that obstruct primary site lines into the Oval from the 15th Avenue Plaza and from Mirror Lake.
• Line the restored Oval Drive with standard University light fixtures to reinforce its street qualities. Relocate site lighting across The Oval as necessary to align with new walk locations. Light the center of the Oval at consistent levels but lower than at the edges where plantings are more dense and building entries are well lit.
• Locate all sitting and gathering spaces, including the furniture and pedestrian scale plantings associated with them, along the outside of Oval Drive as part of building entries or building plates.

North Oval Drive West Toward Darby Hall.

South Oval Drive Looking East Toward Orton Hall.

8. Mirror Lake Hollow
The east end of the Hollow is a broad swale of open lawn and mature tree canopy. This major campus open space links the South Dorms to the center of campus and provides a handsome setting for the Ohio Union. 

Design Guidelines

• Relocate bus shelters and associated screen plantings to open up long views into the Hollow and emphasize the larger green space. The northbound bus stop will be moved farther north toward the garage, while the southbound bus stop will be moved around the corner to West 12th Avenue. The exact location of these bus stops should be coordinated with the Campus Area Bus Service and Transportation and Parking to ensure proper maneuvering, logistics and customer usage.
• Restore the Hollow lawn with drains and irrigation as required to assist with the high quality maintenance for this heavily used space. Upgrade the lawn including seed mix and soil mix to maximize durability (See Technical Appendix for lawn specifications).
• Limb up and maintain tree canopies to create filtered views through the Hollow and to allow filtered light through to the lawn. Limit new plantings to large, deciduous trees to strengthen the existing canopy.
• Create an inviting outdoor pedestrian space west of the Ohio Union using high quality materials for pavement and seat walls and the standard University site furnishings. The furniture will be movable to accommodate a variety of events on the terrace.

Mirror Lake Hollow. 

Mirror Lake is treasured as a unique place to discover on the Campus. An overall restoration plan for this area should be developed to enrich the plant palette, stabilize the highly erodible slopes, preserve the play of light and shadow and reinforce the enclosed space.

Design Guidelines

• Give special consideration to the selective clearing of the north bank to open up views down into the Hollow from points along the south edge of South Oval Drive. In addition, views from points in the Oval to the water jet in Mirror Lake will be a subtle way of attracting more pedestrians to this unique landscape. Moving the water jet to the north/south axis of University Hall will further strengthen the relationship between these two spaces.
• Regrade selected areas along the north bank to create more usable areas for pedestrians. Expand lawn areas where possible to take advantage of desirable sun angles on this south-facing slope.
• Highlight the unique topography and frame views with mixed and unusual plant species. The use of fussy, small plant beds should be avoided. A combination of native and exotic species is appropriate in this zone, as long as the scale and placement of plants are arranged in a harmonious manner to enhance the overall composition.
• Consider the creation of an inconspicuous dining terrace at the north end of Pomerene Hall which would overlook the Mirror Lake Hollow. The materials of this space should complement the architecture of the building and be sensitive to this unique space.
• Expand the overlook along the east side of Neil Avenue as part of the Plaza connection to the River of Trees.
• Preserve the Browning Amphitheatre and maintain it as one of the high priority man-made structures on campus.
• Utilize standard concrete walks in heavy use areas but encourage rough cut stone and other more natural-appearing materials in walls and lightly traveled walks and stairways.

9. Olentangy River Corridor
Historically, the Olentangy River has been considered an edge of the central campus and a barrier to areas west. As Midwest and West Campus continue to develop and attempts are made to strengthen the physical and visual connections to central campus, this amenity will become the unifying greenway spine of the University. The preservation of the various spaces of the Green Reserve and the strengthening of cross campus connections will tie all areas of campus to the river corridor. Additionally, the enhancement of the River Corridor to the north and the south will provide a stronger linkage to the greater community.

The Olentangy River Corridor from
Lane Avenue to John Herrick Drive.

Design Guidelines

• Accommodate the wide range of active and passive activities that will occur along the river corridor from Lane Avenue on the north to John Herrick Drive on the south with open lawn.
• Plant high canopy trees to maximize views for safety. Informally place trees to frame views to the river. (See Urban Forest Recommendations for more on plant associations.)
• Selectively clear understory and volunteer growth, particularly along the west bank, to create visual connections to the river from Olentangy River Road and Midwest Campus.
• Preserve and enhance a narrow zone of wetland vegetation along both banks. Species selection along these edges will provide bank stabilization and will contribute to instruction and research. This environment will offer a unique opportunity to illustrate riparian, wetland and floodplain ecologies. A thorough analysis of the existing ecologies should be conducted in order to establish any additional guidelines.
• Provide 10’-12’- wide asphalt bike paths at the top of the levee as well as at rivers edge along the east bank for bicyclists and pedestrians.
• Provide 10’-12’- wide asphalt bike paths on the west bank along the rivers edge and along Olentangy River Road.
• Provide accessible paths under all bridges as well as to street grade. At street grade, brick crosswalks will be provided for pedestrian safety.
• Provide benches and trash receptacles at regular intervals along the top of the levee and at the river’s edge. All benches will be oriented toward the river. Backless benches should be used along the levee between Woody Hayes Drive and the 17th Avenue pedestrian connector to orient views toward the river as well as the Stadium Green. Benches with tables for picnicking and grills should be placed at the periphery of the larger sweeping open spaces in order to maintain an open space that is free of obstacles for active recreation. All furnishings will be selected from the standard University palette and will be consistent in color and style.
• Provide continuous pedestrian access underneath all bridges. Also improve pedestrian access vertically from street level to river level, as well as from east to west across the river. These improvements should be addressed at the time of renovation or reconstruction of the three bridges (Lane Avenue, Woody Hayes Drive and John Herrick Drive),
• Light pedestrian areas with the standard University light fixture. Lighting will be provided underneath bridges for maximum safety.
• Utilize plantings and lighting to showcase the three primary pedestrian spaces along the corridor (St. John Arena/French Field House Terrace, the Midwest Campus Landing, and Drake Union). See Volume VII of the Campus Master Plan: The River Corridor District Plan for more on these three spaces.
• Focus views to the River from the intersection of Olentangy River Road and John Herrick Drive. A pedestrian overlook should be created at the river’s edge to take advantage of the long vista up the River.
• Reinforce the parkway qualities of Olentangy River Road as it forms the west boundary of the river corridor. It is bordered on its east and west side by large areas of open space. In that regard, it is similar to all other campus parkways and should be planted accordingly with informal massings that are properly placed to enhance views to the river and campus architecture.
• Consider the relocation of the Women’s Field House (currently located in the Larkins/Neil Block) to a location along the river in order to utilize it as a boathouse. Possible locations might include along the west bank and north of Lane Avenue, near the new Alumni House, or at the Drake Union.
• Provide continuous pedestrian access along the west face of Drake Union by enlarging the boat dock and modifying or relocating the existing boat slips. Provide a footbridge across the boat basin just north of the Drake Union.
• Relocate the hardcourt activities along Cannon Drive to the west side of the river levee (See Volume VII of the Campus Master Plan: The River Corridor District Plan). Provide a dark color, vinyl-coated chain-link fence, if required.

10. Stadium Green
The Stadium Green will gradually be created as replacement structure parking becomes available. This green will not only enhance the presence of the Stadium, but moreover, will strengthen the connection from the central campus to the river. The green will serve many purposes, including informal recreation, band practices and vehicle parking, and tailgating on game days.

Design Guidelines

• Relocate Cannon Drive so that it borders the river levee and maximizes the continuous open space of the Stadium Green.
• Establish an open lawn to accommodate a variety of activities. The state of the art in reinforced grass paving systems should be evaluated at the time of the first phase of installation. Such a system would provide a more durable surface to accommodate game day traffic. Regardless of the system, the lawn should be irrigated and treated with the same level of maintenance as other priority lawns such as the Oval and the High Street lawn due to its high visibility and intense use.
• Maximize the efficiency of game day parking while creating the appearance of informally placed high canopy shade trees. Groupings of trees will be concentrated at the edges of the space and where rows of vehicles abut. Groupings of trees will frame views of the stadium from points along Woody Hayes Drive. Special consideration will be given to species selection and root protection in anticipation of heavy game day traffic. In addition, an area free of obstacles including trees and light posts, must be maintained for band practices.
• Plant a double row of shade trees, selected for brilliant red fall color along the perimeter of the Stadium. The inside row will be placed in 12’- wide raised planters. 14’- wide paths will flank both sides of these planters. Planter walls will provide a comfortable seat at a height of 20". Breaks in the planters will occur at major gate entries. An additional row of trees will be planted adjacent to the outside walk.
• Provide direct 6’ wide concrete paths to the Stadium from major pedestrian circulation routes.
• Maintain the ±40’ - width of the grand walk from Woody Hayes Drive to the center of the Stadium. A large cut stone or London Walk paving material will be in scale with the monumental architecture and consistent with the history of the Stadium. The Jesse Owens Memorial will continue to occupy its place along this grand entry walk. A double row of shade trees along both sides of the walk will reinforce the stadium’s central axis.
• Use the University standard light fixture to light the pathways of the Stadium Green. Path lighting should be sufficient to provide security while not competing with the uplighting of the Stadium.
• Minimize the steep slopes that exist along the Woody Hayes Drive frontage. While these cannot be completely eliminated, suitable fill material and topsoil should be added to create a more subtle transition.
• Establish Cannon Drive as a parkway as it borders the west edge of the Stadium Green with informal groupings of high canopy shade trees along its edges. 8’- wide concrete sidewalks will be integral with the curb along both sides.

The Stadium Green.

11. Larkins Recreational Fields & River of Trees 
The Recreational Fields west of Larkins Hall currently create an obstacle between the urban central campus and the river. While paths exist along the north edge, through the center and along the south edge, they do not provide a pleasant pedestrian experience. Chain-link fences around tennis courts and recreational fields add physical barriers and visual clutter to the space. Enhancements to these pedestrian control devices and the articulation of the pedestrian connectors will strengthen the central campus ties to places west. The River of Trees will form the south edge of the space and provide a unique pedestrian connection from south campus to the river.

The River of Trees and Larkins Recreational Fields. (full size)
 

Recreational Fields
As part of the Green Reserve, the Recreational Fields will be preserved as an active open green space indefinitely. As future building expansions and site improvements continue in the vicinity of the fields, the area left for play will be reduced. As this occurs, the quality of the fields should be improved to maximize their durability. To enhance the visual qualities of this space, special consideration will be given to defining its edges while strengthening pedestrian circulation around the space.

Design Guidelines

• Coordinate design efforts for the River of Trees, the Stadium renovation and the Larkins Hall expansion with the Department of Recreational Sports to ensure the functionality of the space for its variety of uses. 
• Design and construct the recreational fields to insure that they will be "class A" quality and allow for rapid recovery. (See Technical Appendix for field specifications)
• Reorganize hard court games along the east edge of the space to open up a larger area for field games. All design efforts should be carefully coordinated with future plans for the Larkins Hall expansion. Chain-link fencing will be vinyl coated and dark in color.
• Define the new edge of the expanded Larkins Hall with the elevated north/south colonnade. Formal tree plantings will soften this hard urban edge. Trees planted along the west edge of the colonnade will have high canopies in order to accommodate views into the tennis courts and beyond.
• Contain recreation fields with an ornamental iron fence with masonry columns. Emphasize corners and gates with columns. These fences should be located at the edges of standard field clearance zones for pedestrian safety. Standard vinyl-coated chain-link fence should be utilized when clearance zones cannot be achieved.
• Provide convenient and direct path connections to the 17th Avenue Pedestrian Connector and the River of Trees Pedestrian Connector.
• Consider providing a path across the recreational fields on the central axis of the Main Library and Lincoln Tower, if the connection can be created without impacting the flexibility of field layout. If this connection cannot be achieved, then the visual axis from the Main Library to Lincoln Tower should continue to be recognized with pedestrian nodes on the east side and west side of the field area.
• Create a path with a width of 10’-12’ as a jogging path around the recreational fields. This path can be integrated with the path systems established for the Buckeye Grove and the River of Trees. 

The River of Trees
The River of Trees will physically link the south portion of Central Campus to the river corridor. Symbolically, the River of Trees connects Mirror Lake to the Olentangy River, creating a metaphor for the waterway, which once connected these two bodies of water.

Design Guidelines

• Announce the River of Trees pedestrian connection along Neil Avenue with specialty paving and planting that reinforce east/west pedestrian movement.
• Reinforce the axis from Pomerene Hall on the east to the Riffe Building on the west with a direct 12’- wide concrete path. Provide nodes along this axis at major intersections and viewing areas.
• Respect the visual axis between Pomerene Hall and the Riffe Building with all future buildings and additions.
• Align future buildings west of Campbell Hall with the south face of Campbell Hall to maximize the width of the green space connection in this zone.
• Coordinate design efforts and plant material selections with the Department of Recreational Sports to ensure the functionality of the recreational fields during all seasons.
• Provide direct, yet gently curving, walkway connections to the Towers pedestrian plaza, and the river arrival zone at the intersection of Cannon Drive and John Herrick Drive.
• Orient pedestrians toward the river by utilizing walkways, trees and a major crosswalk to focus views. Consider locating a large, vertical element in the river as a landmark.
• Reinforce the river metaphor with sweeping lines of trees and landforms that imply movement.
• Increase the campus-wide teaching collection by reestablishing tree communities which are currently underrepresented. Establish a unique teaching opportunity by grouping trees of similar botanical characteristics.
• Enclose nodes and frame long vistas along the River of Trees pathways with undulating lines of trees.
• Plant trees informally along the west edge of the recreational fields to contrast with the more ordered plantings of the River of Trees.  

12. Midwest Campus Recreational Fields
The Midwest Campus Recreational Fields, also known as the Coffey Road Recreational Fields, are bounded by Woody Hayes Drive, future buildings along the east edge of Coffey Road, the extension of Vernon Tharp Street to Olentangy River Road, and Olentangy River Road. These boundaries limit the number of softball fields to three as opposed to four, which was originally proposed in the Campus Master Plan. This recreation area represents one of three major green spaces on Midwest Campus. While the other two, the Howlett Hall Quadrangle and the Veterinary Quadrangle, are enclosed by building masses, the Recreational Fields are open on the east to the Olentangy River. With the future addition of more buildings along the east edge of Coffey Road and throughout Midwest Campus, this green space will increasingly become an important transition from the urban campus to the bucolic river edge. As field area decreases due to new construction along the west edge, it will become important for these fields to be of the highest quality possible to maximize durability.

Design Guidelines

• Coordinate design efforts for the extension of Vernon Tharp Street and any new building construction along the east side of Coffey Road with the Department of Recreational Sports to ensure the functionality of the space for its variety of uses.
• Design and construct the recreational fields to ensure that they will be "class A" quality and allow for rapid recovery. (See Technical Appendix for field specifications)
• Extend Vernon Tharp Street to Olentangy River Road to provide an additional vehicular outlet as densities increase in the Midwest Campus.
• Create a pedestrian terrace as future buildings are developed along the west edge of the fields. This terrace will be elevated slightly higher than the fields to maximize viewing across the fields and into the river corridor.
• Connect the terrace to Woody Hayes Drive on the north and to Vernon Tharp Street and a future parking garage on the south with a 10’-12’- wide concrete path. From the east edge of this walk a gradual slope will be created down to the edge of the fields. This slope will provide comfortable seating for spectators. Benches and trash receptacles should be placed at regular intervals along the west side of this path and oriented toward the fields.
• Consider providing a path across the recreational fields as a direct connection from the Howlett Hall Quadrangle to the Midwest Campus Landing, if the connection can be achieved without impacting the flexibility of field layout (See Volume VII of the Campus Master Plan: The River Corridor District Plan, section 2.4, for more on this connection and the Midwest Campus Landing).
• Contain recreation fields with an ornamental iron fence with masonry columns. Emphasize corners and gates with columns. These fences should be located at the edges of standard field clearance zones for pedestrian safety. Standard vinyl-coated chain link fence should be utilized when clearance zones cannot be achieved.
• Provide 6’- wide concrete pedestrian paths along both sides of Olentangy River Road. The edge of the paths should be setback 10’ from the curb.
• Frame views to the river and significant architectural features with informally placed, high canopy shade trees.

Midwest Campus Recreational Fields.

• Selectively clear trees and volunteer growth along the west bank of the river to open up more views to the river from Olentangy River Road and from the Midwest Campus Recreational Fields.
• Provide path lighting with the standard University light fixture. Recreational field lighting will also be provided, but controlled separately.

13. North Campus 
The North Campus area is an urban assemblage of buildings, streets and alleys, which is bounded by Woodruff Avenue, College Road, West 17th Avenue and Neil Avenue. The evolution of building masses in this area has created an urban density, but has not provided for clear north/south pedestrian movement. Site improvements have also been inconsistent and have failed to unify circulation routes and other pedestrian spaces. A number of improvements need to be made to bring organization to this area of Campus and enhance its urban qualities.

North Campus.

Design Guidelines

Streetscapes
Existing and former urban streets throughout campus will be recreated or enhanced to reestablish their urban streetscape qualities. West 17th, 18th and 19th Avenues of North Campus are three such streets. Through proper design, these streets will accommodate all forms of vehicular circulation while placing special emphasis on pedestrians. For other streetscapes in the North Campus areas see the Neil Avenue and Woodruff Avenue sector design guidelines. See High Street sector for the treatment of West 17th Avenue and West 18th Avenue, east of College Road.

The following design guidelines recommend a distinct change in street profile from that suggested in Volume III of the Campus Master Plan: District Plan for the Academic Core North. Street trees that were proposed to be placed in 6’- wide planters behind the curb have been relocated behind an integral concrete curb and walk. This will maximize the amount of space for the tree to establish a healthy root zone between the walk and the building face. Guidelines for the selection of tree types for individual streets are found in the Urban Forest Recommendations.

West 17th Avenue

• Accommodate one-way eastbound traffic along West 17th Avenue with parallel parking along the south side. The asphalt street cross-section will be 24’- wide with a 16’- wide travel lane and an 8’- wide parallel-parking lane. 8’- wide concrete walks will be integral with the 6" concrete curb along both sides of the street. This integral walk and curb condition will maximize the area behind the walk for tree planting.
• Plant street trees 5’ behind the back of the walk and 30’ on center. All street tree placements will be considered on a tree by tree basis relative to existing underground utilities, existing building setbacks, building entries and major pedestrian crossings.
• Place the standard University light fixture at the back of the curb and staggered along both sides of the street at an interval which provides safe lighting levels for vehicles and pedestrians. 

West 17^th Avenue Looking West ­ East of Neil Avenue.

• Clearly define all major pedestrian crossings with brick crosswalks. Good visibility will be created at all crossings by eliminating any visual obstructions including parked cars and dense plantings. 

West 18th Avenue

• Restrict West 18th Avenue to pedestrian and bicycle use with access for service and emergency vehicles. In order to create a safer pedestrian environment, free from the obstruction of curbing, a 32’- wide surface of flush concrete will become the cross-section for 18th Avenue. The outside 8’ of concrete, or "sidewalks", will be intended for pedestrian use while the middle 16’, or "street", will accommodate bicycles and service and emergency vehicles. Scoring patterns will articulate the "sidewalk" from the "street".
• Plant street trees 5’ behind the back of the walk and 30’ on center. All street tree placements will be considered on a tree by tree basis relative to existing underground utilities, existing building setbacks, building entries and major pedestrian crossings.
• Place the standard University light fixture at the back of the 16’- wide "street" and staggered along both sides at an interval which provides safe lighting levels for pedestrians. Clearly define all major pedestrian crossings with brick crosswalks. Good visibility will be created at all crossings by eliminating any visual obstructions.
• Renovate recent improvements west of Magruder Avenue to conform with these guidelines and create a consistent streetscape from Neil Avenue to College Road.

West 18^th Avenue Looking West.

West 19th Avenue

• Accommodate one-way westbound traffic along West 19th Avenue with parallel parking along the north side. The asphalt street cross-section will be 24’- wide with a 16’- wide travel lane and an 8’- wide parallel-parking lane. 8’- wide concrete walks will be integral with the 6" concrete curb along both sides of the street. Like West 17th Avenue, this integral walk and curb condition will maximize the area behind the walk for tree planting.
• Plant street trees 5’ behind the back of the walk and 30’ on center. All street tree placements will be considered on a tree by tree basis relative to existing underground utilities, existing building setbacks, building entries and major pedestrian crossings.
• Place the standard University light fixture at the back of the curb and staggered along both sides of the street at an interval which provides safe lighting levels for vehicles and pedestrians.
• Clearly define all major pedestrian crossings with brick crosswalks.
  Good visibility will be created at all crossings by eliminating any visual obstructions including parked cars and dense plantings.

West 19^th Avenue Looking West.

West 19^th Avenue Looking East.

The North Green
While West 17th, 18th and 19th Avenues provide direct east/west circulation through North Campus, the north/south circulation routes are less clearly defined. With the large amount of pedestrian traffic generated by residential areas to the north, a clear north/south connector though North Campus to the Oval is critical. The existing Denney Hall Green will become the major north/south pedestrian connector from Lane Avenue through the North Residence Halls and through the North Academic Core. The existing Denney Green extends to the north between Smith and McPherson Laboratories and is closed at the north end by Haskett Hall. The North Green will be created with the eventual removal of Haskett Hall. When Scott House reaches the end of its useful life, it too will be removed to further extend the North Green to its terminus at Drackett Tower. While not as critical to the creation of this space, Denney Hall might be considered for removal at the end of its useful life in order to terminate the Green with the more historic Derby Hall.

The North Green Looking South to Denney Hall.

• Establish the North Green as the major north/south pedestrian promenade. Provide 12’- wide paths along the east and west edge of the space. These concrete walks, bordered with 16" bands of brick pavers, are the northern reaches of the Central Campus Connector. 
  This connector will continue south to The Oval, through the Hollow and the South Residence Halls, and terminate at 11th Avenue.
• Establish the space between the promenade walks as a collegiate lawn. This will be a significant green space for the most urban district of campus. Maintain as a priority green space with irrigation as well as regular seeding and aeration.
• Maintain high tree canopy and regularly prune to allow filtered light to the lawn below.
• Provide direct paths across the collegiate lawn to accommodate the major pedestrian movements.
• Provide major gathering spaces at the north and south end of the North Green to accommodate large volumes of pedestrian traffic and create a terminus to the space.
• Provide minor gathering spaces at the center of subspaces of the North Green (i.e. between Smith and McPherson Laboratories and between Johnston and Koffolt Laboratories).
• Locate standard University light fixtures at regular intervals along the promenade walks to provide safe lighting levels for pedestrians.
• Locate additional fixtures throughout the lawn area as necessary.

Urban Courtyards, Pedestrian Alleys, Service Courts and Building Plates
The remainder of spaces in the North Campus area can be categorized as Urban Courtyards, Pedestrian Alleys, Service Courts and Building Plates. These spaces are shown in Figure 3.3-1. Existing and proposed Urban Courtyards include the MacQuigg Lab Entry Courtyard, the courtyard east of the future Physical Sciences Building, the Neil and Faye Smith Park (to be modified with the Robinson Lab replacement project), the Celeste Lab Courtyard, the Math Tower/Brown Hall Courtyard (following the removal of the north wing of Brown Hall) and the future Stillman Hall Courtyard. Pedestrian alleys include the corridor between Bolz Hall and the future Physical Sciences Building, the corridors along the east and west sides of the Robinson Laboratory replacement building, and the corridor between Celeste Lab and McPherson Laboratory. Service Courts are isolated behind Hitchcock Hall, behind the Mathematics Building and west of Evans Laboratory, south of West 19th Avenue. Building Plates are the remainder of the spaces that appear as the front, rear or side yards to individual buildings.

Section 3.3: Spatial Hierarchies and Organization, articulates the definition and guidelines for these types of spaces. The consistent treatment of these spatial types will functionally and visually unify this part of campus and enhance its urban qualities.

14. Tuttle Park/Millikin Block
The edges of the Tuttle Park/Millikin Block are defined by Woodruff Avenue, Tuttle Park Place, West 17th Avenue and Neil Avenue. This block has historically served a number of utilitarian functions with the McCracken Power Plant and a number of other maintenance related buildings. Improvements to the College of Business and the St. John Arena Block will transform Tuttle Park Place into a major University gateway. This will, in turn, channel a large number of pedestrians through the center of the Millikin Block. Future improvements to the Stadium Green will increase the flow of pedestrians from North Campus, through the Millikin Block, and on to the Stadium and the river.

The Tuttle Park/Millikin Block.

Design Guidelines

• Establish a more positive public face along the east edge of Tuttle Park Place with the landscape treatment. Soften the urban edge as viewed from the Stadium Green with a double row of street trees. Plant these trees 5’ behind the back of the walk and approximately 30’ on center.
• Place standard University light fixtures at the back of the Tuttle Park Place curb. Provide light levels for pedestrian and vehicle safety.
• Provide 8’- wide concrete walks, integral with the Tuttle Park Place curb.
• Move the proposed addition west of Central Classroom to the Tuttle Park Place Street edge to strengthen the building frontage, create a more usable service court and screen the service court activities.
• Enhance the pedestrian experience along Millikin Road, which will move an increasing number of pedestrians through the St. John Arena Block and College of Business improvements. Adding to this pedestrian flow into the academic parts of Campus will be the new parking structure west of Garage A. Treat this pedestrian spine as a pedestrian alley as its spatial qualities are more irregular than that of the typical urban streetscapes. Create a series of different spaces for pedestrians moving south along this corridor to pass through.
  • Introduce the corridor at the Tuttle Park Place/Woodruff Avenue intersection by providing a public passage through the first floor of the proposed Austin E. Knowlton School of Architecture.
  • Continue the pedestrian alley south into a ± 40’- wide corridor which separates the two parking structures. This space may employ low, shade tolerant plantings to soften the space, but pavement should predominate to collect the large numbers of pedestrians moving in and out of the parking structures and additional pedestrian scale commercial uses along Millikin Road.
  • Add shade trees to the existing "Garden of Constants" east of the Central Classroom Building to create a more comfortable environment. This popular pedestrian space is an example of an Urban Courtyard (see Section 3.4: Spatial Hierarchies and Organization).
  • Accommodate service vehicles as well as pedestrians south of the "Garden of Constants" on Millikin Road with 32’ of flush concrete pavement scored to delineate the 8’- wide "sidewalks" from the 16’- wide "street". Stagger standard University lighting along the "street" edge and complement with building mounted fixtures. Limit service curb cuts along the east edge of this alley segment to create a passive, green open space with a canopy of shade trees and open lawn. 
• Strengthen east/west connectors across the Millikin Block. Characteristics of West 19th Avenue will extend west of Neil Avenue and through the Millikin Block to the Stadium Green. A 16’- wide concrete path will terminate at a pedestrian plaza at Tuttle Park Place. West 19th Avenue street trees will be planted along this path as space permits and terminate in a grove of trees at the pedestrian plaza.
• Create a walk/service street behind the future Austin E. Knowlton School of Architecture with 16’ of concrete and upright street trees.
• Maintain the service drive south of the Central Classroom Building. This provides service to McCracken Power Plant and other maintenance related buildings. An 8’- wide concrete path will be integral with a 6" concrete curb along the north side of the service drive to separate pedestrian traffic from service vehicles.
• Complement the standard University lights with building mounted fixtures to reduce the number of light poles required along the narrow "alley" connectors throughout the Millikin Block .
• The site that was once occupied by the Neil and 17th building has been recently renovated into a passive courtyard. Its location at the intersection of two major pedestrian thoroughfares, (West 17th Avenue and Neil Avenue), has made it a popular respite area. Strong consideration should be given to the preservation of this space as a courtyard. If a building does occupy this space in the future, a public courtyard should be part of the building’s site program

15. The Larkins/Neil Block
The Campus Master Plan recommends a number of improvements to this district of campus, which is bounded by West 17th Avenue, The Recreation Fields, Neil Avenue, and the River of Trees. Future buildings and site improvement will replace the large parking lot which currently separates Mirror Lake and The Oval from the Recreation Fields. As this district becomes more urbanized, major circulation routes will be created or enhanced and urban courtyards will be created by new building configurations.

Design Guidelines

• Reinforce the extension of Millikin Road south of West 17th Avenue as a pedestrian connector. When pedestrians moving south along Millikin Road reach West 17th Avenue, many will turn east toward the Academic Core of North Campus and southeast toward the Oval. As more academic buildings occur in the Larkins/Neil Block, an increasing number of pedestrians will continue south. This alley will become a 16’ wide heavy-duty concrete walk with upright street trees and the standard University light fixture along the edges. The 16’- width will accommodate service vehicles to Larkins Hall, Townshend Hall and the Wilce Health Clinic.
• Treat the triangular-shaped space west of Townshend Hall as an Urban Courtyard. An accessible ramp entrance to the Health Clinic will form the west edge of the space, while a 12’- wide concrete path will occupy the east edge of the space. The space that remains will provide an opportunity for art related to the Health Clinic.
• Establish the Main Library Promenade to physically and visually link The Oval to the Recreation Fields along the Main Library/Lincoln Tower centerline. Pavement will predominate along this grand mallway to accommodate the east and west pedestrian traffic. Formal trees should border the space and imply movement. Sitting areas will be created along the north side, away from the major traffic flow.

The Larkins/Neil Block.

• Modify the large proposed building west of Lazenby Hall in order to create one shared courtyard space for this collection of buildings. The space will be predominantly open lawn with 6’ concrete paths connecting destination points. A service drive will be required from Neil Avenue, between Lazenby Hall and Campbell Hall, and around the perimeter of the courtyard. This pedestrian walk/ service drive will access all of the buildings that face this courtyard. This drive will be disguised as a broad, concrete pedestrian walk with a width of 16’.
• Complement the standard University light fixture with building-mounted fixtures where possible to reduce the number of light poles required.
• Consider the relocation and reuse of the Women’s Field House, (currently located west of Campbell Hall at the edge of the Recreational Fields), as a boathouse along the Olentangy River.

16. St. John Arena Block
As the St. John Arena Block develops over time, new structures will be located at the corners of the block to define the street edges. While these buildings will improve the street aesthetics, their massive size may create a perceived barrier unless major north/south connections from Lane Avenue to Woody Hayes Drive are strengthened.

The St. John arena Block.

Design Guidelines

• Improve the connection along the riverfront from the new Lane Avenue Bridge to Woody Hayes Drive with a series of terraces and overlooks along the river’s edge. (See Volume VII: The River Corridor District Plan, St. John Arena/French Field House Riverfront).
• Strengthen the north/south linkages at St. John Arena with the development of a pedestrian promenade that provides continuous movement along the west and east sides of the arena. These linkages will be the only direct connections from Lane Avenue to Woody Hayes Drive between the riverfront and Tuttle Park Place. A bosque of high canopy shade trees in scale with the adjacent architecture will guide pedestrians along 12’- wide concrete paths to the arena linkages. A large pedestrian plaza will become the drop-off zone as well as the placemat for St. John Arena. The paving material for this plaza will be in scale with the adjacent architecture. Large cut stone or London Walk will be preferred to small unit pavers. Trees will be planted in seat height planters where possible to visually soften the space and provide comfortable meeting places. 30’- wide asphalt drives will be provided at both entries. They will each surround an open lawn. These two open lawns provide an opportunity for future artwork or memorials related to athletics.
• Establish a direct north/south connector at Tuttle Park Place. 8’- wide concrete paths will be integral with the curb. Large shade trees will be typically placed at 40’ on center and 5’ behind the back of the walk. Standard University light fixtures will be staggered along the back of the curbs at an interval which provides safe lighting levels for vehicles and pedestrians.  

17. Lane/Tuttle Park Gateway Block
This block is bounded by Lane Avenue, Tuttle Park Place, West Frambes Avenue and Neil Avenue. The Campus Master Plan recommends the replacement of the existing parking lot and Jesse Owens Recreation Center with an academic building, or use that requires high visibility on the west end, and a parking garage and/or new recreation facility on the east end. With vehicular streets on all four sides of this block and the potential addition of structured parking, the delineation of direct, safe pedestrian routes is critical in this district.

Lane/Tuttle Park Gateway Block.

Design Guidelines

• Treat West Frambes Avenue from Neil Avenue to Tuttle Park Place as a typical urban streetscape with a 24’- wide asphalt pavement section for vehicles and 8’- wide concrete sidewalks on both sides of the street, integral with the curb. Standard ornamental light fixtures will be staggered along Neil Avenue at a spacing which meets the light level requirements of the University for vehicles and pedestrians. Street trees will have a typical spacing of 30’ on center. This treatment will be a continuation of the Neil Avenue streetscape from Lane Avenue to Frambes Avenue. The Neil Avenue and Frambes Avenue intersection will receive stop signs to provide a safe crossing for the large amount of pedestrians moving from north residential areas into campus.
• Match the west edge of the Tuttle Park Place streetscape edge with an 8’- wide concrete walk integral with the curb, street trees placed 40’ on center and 5’ behind the walk, and standard University light fixtures at the back of the curb.
• See the Lane Avenue Design Guidelines for the treatment of Lane Avenue in this block.
• Provide a north/south pedestrian connection from Lane Avenue to Frambes Avenue at mid-block. This connection will provide access to the center of the Fisher College of Business. This path will be a direct 8’- wide concrete path. It will be reinforced with formal tree plantings and standard University light fixtures mounted on poles and building corners.
• Create an urban courtyard in conjunction with the future building on the southeast corner of Lane Avenue and Tuttle Park Place. A quiet, passive space will be especially valuable to this district which is surrounded by vehicular streets.

18. Midwest Campus
The Campus Master Plan proposes that future development in the Midwest Campus will attempt to create a stronger physical and visual connection to the Central Campus. This will be accomplished through improved east/west pedestrian connections and by creating building masses which are more urban in their relationship to other buildings and the street. The spaces that will be created by these future buildings must respond to this urban character as well.

Improvements to the north of the Midwest Campus require that special attention be given to the north/south vehicular and pedestrian connections. Recent athletic facility improvements, including the Schottenstein Center, along with future improvements to Chadwick Arboretum, will generate a much larger volume of people moving north and south along urban streetscapes and pedestrian alleys.

Midwest Campus.

Design Guidelines

• Develop Fyffe Road as a primary entrance to the Midwest Campus via Lane Avenue. The existing setback of buildings allows for a comfortable 10’- wide tree lawn adjacent to the curb, for street tree plantings. The formal street trees will be planted at 40’ on center. 8’- wide concrete walks will parallel the street. Fyffe Road will terminate south of Woody Hayes Drive at the Howlett Hall Quadrangle.
• Establish a 24’- wide pedestrian/service street around the perimeter of the Howlett Hall Quadrangle to accommodate pedestrians, bicycles and occasional service vehicles. Delineate the outside 8’ of the concrete as sidewalk with pedestrian scale scoring patterns. Place street trees and light fixtures along the outside of the concrete.
• Treat the interior of the Howlett Hall Quadrangle simply with direct walks, open lawn and high canopy shade trees. Benches and other site furnishings will be placed along the outside edges of the lawn and at building entries.
• Establish Coffey Road as an urban streetscape with the addition of buildings along the east side of the street over time. The street itself will consist of 24’ of asphalt pavement to accommodate two-way traffic and 8’- wide parallel concrete sidewalks along both sides and integral with a 6" concrete curb. Street trees will then be placed 5’ behind the walk at 30’ on center. Lighting will be staggered at an interval which meets required light levels.
• Limit Coffey Road to pedestrians, bicycles and service vehicles south of Vernon Tharp Street and around the perimeter of the Veterinary Quadrangle. The cross section for this pedestrian/service street will become flush concrete at this location with the 8’- wide sidewalks delineated by scoring patterns. The area delineated as street for bicycles and service vehicles will be reduced to 16’ in width. Place street trees and light fixtures along the outside of the concrete.
• Treat the interior of the Veterinary Quadrangle with direct walks, open lawn and high canopy shade trees. Benches and other site furnishings will be placed along the outside edges of the lawn and at building entries.
• Modify the recommendation of Volume III of the Campus Master Plan: District Plan for the Academic Core North which identifies future buildings along the east edge of the Veterinary Hospital and Goss Laboratory. The presence of these buildings will leave a narrow boulevard as open space in this area. This grouping of buildings, like those that surround the Howlett Hall Quadrangle, requires a more meaningful urban greenspace that is in scale with the surrounding structures. Therefore those proposed structures and their proposed uses should be reconsidered, locating the new buildings elsewhere, as building expansions and/or new building construction occur.
• Extend Vernon Tharp Street to the east to provide vehicular and pedestrian access to Olentangy River Road. This connection will provide a necessary outlet as Midwest Campus expands. This represents a modification to the Campus Master Plan which terminates Vernon Tharp Street at Coffey Road.
• Strengthen east/west connections to central campus by improving Lane Avenue, Woody Hayes Drive and the 17th Avenue Connector. See these individual sectors for additional guidelines.
• Develop the remaining urban spaces in the Midwest Campus that have relatively square proportions as urban courtyards. These courtyards should provide areas for quiet study or small group education. The theme of these spaces should reflect the academic mission of the building or buildings which create the space.
• Develop the linear passages between buildings as pedestrian alleys. These connectors will have consistent concrete walks with pedestrian scale plantings. The standard light fixture, supplemented by building mounted lights, will provide consistent and safe lighting along these corridors.
• Reinforce the parkway characteristics of John Herrick Drive and Olentangy River Road. Use informally placed deciduous shade trees to screen and frame views along the corridors. Open lawns should predominate and sweep up to the building faces.
• Terminate Coffey Road north of Woody Hayes Drive in a narrow courtyard. This drive will consist of 24’ of asphalt pavement to accommodate vehicles that will be accessing the future parking garage. Establish a clear and safe pedestrian corridor through this courtyard to accommodate movement to the Chadwick Arboretum and The Schottenstein Center.
• Develop a small quadrangle north of Woody Hayes Drive and west of Fyffe Road. This quadrangle will also be limited to pedestrians, bicycles and service vehicles and treated with a flush concrete street and sidewalk profile.

19. North Residence Halls
The North Residence Halls sector is bounded by Lane Avenue, Neil Avenue, Woodruff Avenue and High Street. It currently consists of residence halls, dining halls and recreation uses. The haphazard development of this district over time has created a number of outdoor spaces that lack spatial definition. Circulation is roughly organized on a grid; however, connections are often interrupted by buildings or service areas. Improving spatial hierarchy and circulation throughout this district will create a better living environment for students while strengthening the connections to the Academic Core of campus.

Design Guidelines

• Create a variety of spaces for different types of uses with new buildings and new additions. Enclose spaces and create residential courtyards with future additions to residence halls. These courtyards will be intimate spaces for small group socializing and quiet study. New buildings and additions will also frame public open spaces such as the extension of the North Green and the College Road/Woodruff Green.
• Enhance open green spaces for passive recreation within the North Residence Halls District. The North Green, the College Road/Woodruff Green and the High Street lawn all provide opportunities for passive outdoor activities. The designated recreational fields located throughout campus will be used for organized field games including softball, soccer and football. Court games such as tennis and basketball should be located along the south side of Lane Avenue.
• Develop a clear, uninterrupted route into North Campus from the North Residence Halls. The eventual removal of Haskett Hall along the south side of Woodruff Avenue will open such a route and create the North Green (see North Campus Design Guidelines). The future removal of Scott House will further extend the North Green to its eventual terminus at Drackett Tower. This memorable green space will be the major organizing element for all circulation in this district. The 12’- wide promenade walks along the east and west side of the North Green will continue across the campus and terminate at 11th Avenue.
• Reinforce additional north/south movement with a broad pedestrian promenade from the bus stop at Woodruff Avenue, north to Jones Graduate Tower. Reinforce movement with linear placement of trees and light fixtures.

North Residence Halls.

• Provide direct north/south pedestrian movement from the College Road/Woodruff Avenue intersection, north to Taylor Tower. Establish a direct 12’ path through three diverse spaces, including the romantic park at the terminus of College Road, the pedestrian alley east of Barrett House, and the courtyard between Houck House and Raney Commons.
• Reinforce the east/west connections to the three primary north /south pedestrian routes with linear placement of trees and light fixtures. These connections often have the characteristics of pedestrian alleys (see Section 3.4: Spatial Hierarchies and Organization for Pedestrian Alley Design Principles).
• Provide service/emergency vehicle access to all North Residence Hall buildings.
• Eliminate Curl Drive access point at the terminus of College Road to minimize cut through traffic and create a more usable green space for residents.
• Provide continuous service/emergency vehicle access by re-routing Curl Drive between Raney Commons and Halloran House and completing the loop circulation with a connection between Houck House and Jones Graduate Tower.
• Relocate Curl Drive access point at Neil Avenue to Lane Avenue to improve Neil Avenue gateway experience and create a more developable building site at the southeast corner of the intersection.
• Treat areas where pedestrians and service vehicles share space as pedestrian alleys with wide, heavy-duty concrete walks. The exception will be along Curl Drive, which is the primary vehicular circulation route for the North Residence Halls. This street will receive asphalt with 6" concrete curbs and 8’ integral concrete walks to accommodate the heavy vehicular and pedestrian traffic volume.
• Design resident courtyards as intimate spaces that are unique to their individual architecture. The palette of materials should include, but not be limited to, specialty paving, small flowering trees and shrubs, pedestrian scale lighting, art and sculpture, ornamental fencing and gates, and the standard University selection of site furniture.
• Refer to the Design Guidelines for High Street, Lane Avenue, Neil Avenue and Woody Hayes Drive/Woodruff Avenue for the edge treatments in this sector.  

20. South Residence Halls
Some of the most underutilized outdoor spaces on Campus are found in the South Residence Halls District. Parking and service courts predominate in areas that could become memorable outdoor spaces. This residential district currently lacks an open green space as well as any quality outdoor study areas.

The South Residence Halls.

Design Guidelines

• Transform the parking lot between Siebert Hall and Stradley Hall into a central open green space for the residents of South Campus. This open space can be implemented as replacement parking becomes available. The space will be bordered along the east and west sides by 12’- wide walks that are part of the central cross campus connectors which lead to the Oval and on to the North Green. 16"- wide bands of brick border these concrete walks. This brick will match the brick used along Oval Drive. 8’- wide concrete paths will diagonally cross the green along the desired walk lines.
• Develop a pedestrian plaza space along West 12th Avenue to alert vehicles to the major north/south pedestrian crossing. Parking will be available on this plaza in front of Enarson Hall and the bus stop will continue to be located in front of Hale Hall. Specialty paving will predominate, with site furnishings and pedestrian scale plantings at the edges of the space. A traffic signal or adequate signage will also alert vehicular traffic to this crossing.
• Evaluate the ability of the pedestrian plaza to minimize the vehicular traffic flow west of Enarson Hall before physically closing the street. Volume V of the Campus Master Plan: The South Campus District Plan recommends that continuous vehicular access be stopped west of Enarson Hall in anticipation of increased vehicular flow resulting from future on ramps to State Route 315 from West 12th Avenue.
• Transform the service courts between Steeb Hall and Smith Hall and between Park Hall and Stradley Hall into pedestrian courts that can be used by service and emergency vehicles. Entry walls of ornamental iron and masonry piers will frame a 16’- wide flush concrete path that terminates in a scored concrete pad at the loading dock area. Views to these loading docks will be screened with plant material while providing sufficient security lighting.
• Open views to the traditional front doors of Park and Smith Halls from West 11th Avenue. The court created by these two buildings will be maintained as open lawn with 6’ concrete sidewalks, high canopy shade trees and site furniture at the edge of the space. Direct east/west connection will be maintained through Park Hall and Smith Hall to the adjacent courtyards.
• Enhance the intimate qualities of the courtyard enclosed by the West Residence Hall complex. Active recreation activities, such as sand volleyball, which exists in this space currently, will be relocated to the recreation area along the south side of West 11th Avenue. This resident courtyard complex will be designed as a series of three intimate spaces. The palette of materials will complement the existing architecture and should include, but not be limited to, specialty paving, small flowering trees and shrubs, pedestrian-scale lighting, art and sculpture, and the standard University selection of site furniture.
• Preserve the existing urban courtyard east of Oxley Hall. This space represents one of the unique and intimate courtyard spaces on campus.
• Expand and improve the recreation complex along the south side of West 11th Avenue to provide sufficient basketball, tennis and volleyball courts.
• Provide an 8’- wide concrete walk integral with the curb along both sides of West 12th Avenue. A parallel parking lane will be established along the urban south side of the street with street trees that will be placed formally at 30’ on center and 5’ behind the walk. Along the more bucolic north side, large informally placed trees will imply a parkway edge. The standard University light fixture will be staggered along both sides and provide safe light levels for vehicles and pedestrians. This same treatment can be applied to the segment of College Road between West 12th Avenue and West 11th Avenue, where the pastoral edge of the High Street Lawn exists along the east side and the more urban edge of the Residence Halls dictates the treatment on the west side.

Mack Hall Resident Courtyard.

• Treat West 11th Avenue as an urban streetscape along both sides with 8’- wide concrete walks that are placed at a minimum distance of 8’ behind the curb. Plant street trees 30’ on center and 5’ behind the curb. Place the standard University light fixture 3’ behind the curb and staggered along both sides of the street. This separation of walk and street will improve the sense of safety as West 11th Avenue moves more traffic in both directions, as recommended by the South Campus District Plan.

21. Campus Edges
The purpose of exploring the roadway edge treatments for the far north and west areas of campus is to provide continuity and identity for both the University as a whole and for each district. The specific districts included are Waterman Agricultural and Natural Resources Laboratory (referred to in previous Master Plans as Waterman Farm), West Campus, Olentangy Plain and the 315 Corridor. Design guidelines and illustrative sections are provided for each district to define the edge treatments.

Waterman Agricultural and Natural Resources Laboratories
Waterman Agricultural and Natural Resources Laboratory located north of Lane Avenue, west of Kenny Road and east of North Star Road, symbolizes the history of Ohio State as a land grant University. The existing conditions of the site include a variety of landscapes: open fields and pastures, orchards, a dense wood lot, windrows and facilities used for instruction and intensive research. The edge treatments along this district seek to celebrate the rural landscape and provide open views into the site, while instilling an institutional character.

Design Guidelines

• Establish open landscape easements, 100’ from the right-of-way, that enhance the rural character of the district. These easements will be free from any buildings, parking, gardens, test plots or grazing.
• Use a three-rail horse fence of natural color when fences are required for grazing animals. In order to portray the institutional qualities of the University, brick piers should be introduced at corners of the fence and at regular intervals of 100’. The location of these fences should occur at the rear of the 100’ landscape easement.
• Reinforce the rural landscape with informal clusters of large shade trees located in the rear 50’ of the 100’ landscape easement. At locations where the fence occurs, all trees should be placed in front of the fence. The ground plane of the landscape easement should be treated as open lawn; however, the lawn does not need to be maintained as frequently as other high priority areas of campus.
• Provide a 10’-12’- wide, gently sweeping, asphalt bike/pedestrian path within the easement. The path will be located an average distance of 15’ from the edge of curb to ensure its maximum usage. The path will consist of large radii to preserve a pastoral character while still providing a direct route for bicycles and pedestrians.
• Place light fixtures, selected from the University family of light fixtures, 5’ from the edge of pavement. They will be staggered along the streets at intervals which provide safe lighting levels for vehicles and pedestrians.
• Locate identification signs for the Waterman Agricultural and Natural Resources Laboratory at the vehicular entrances to the site at Carmack Road. These sign standards will be developed as part of the Comprehensive Signage and Wayfinding Plan. These signs will be placed cleanly in the open lawn of the landscape easement without the use of residential scale plantings.
• Reduce the number of curb cuts and incorporate the typical Waterman landscape easement with any future development in the area east of Kenny Road and north of Lane Avenue. This area currently serves as a service area for the University with multiple curb cuts and minimal setbacks. 

Typical Waterman Agricultural and Natural Resources Laboratory Edge Treatment.
 

West Campus
The West Campus district edges are defined by Lane Avenue to the north, Kenny Road to the east, Kinnear Road to the south and North Star Road to the west. The majority of this district is open, undeveloped land with the exception of some development along Kenny and Kinnear Roads and the new recreational park along Lane Avenue. Long range plans call for this area to develop into science and research facilities of a rather high urban density. The preservation of the edges as rural buffers further enhances the land grant heritage of the University, while providing a dynamic contrast with the future science and research facilities.

Typical West Campus Edge Treatment.

Design Guidelines

• Establish a landscape easement of 100’ from the right-of-way throughout the district to reinforce the rural character of the area. Building and parking setbacks will be maintained at 100’ from the right-of-way.
• Place informal groupings of large, long-lived, shade trees in open expanses of lawn within the 100’ landscape easement. The lawn shall be maintained several times per year, yet does not require the high maintenance of other high priority areas on campus. Trees will be concentrated toward the back 50’ of the easement.
• Provide a 10’-12’ asphalt bike/pedestrian path throughout west campus. The path will be located an average distance of 15’ from the edge of curb to ensure its maximum usage. The path should be gently meandering with large radii to provide a direct route for all users.
• Place light fixtures, selected from the University family of light fixtures, 5’ from the edge of pavement. They will be staggered along the streets that have University frontage along both sides at an interval which provides safe lighting levels for vehicles and pedestrians. These fixtures will be continuous along the north edge of Kinnear Road and along the east edge of North Star Road.
• Reduce the number of curb cuts and incorporate the setbacks, easements and guidelines set forth in this district with any future development north of Kinnear Road. This will enhance the rural character of the area and help unify the street frontage.
• Treat the south side of Kinnear Road as a more traditional streetscape. Incorporate University light fixtures placed 5’ from the edge of pavement, street trees 40’ on center located 10’ from the edge of pavement and a 6’ concrete walk located 15’ behind the pavement.
• Focus and enhance views to central campus landmarks (e.g. the Main Library Tower, University Hall and Ohio Stadium) from West Campus streets.

Kinnear Road Looking West.

Olentangy Plain
The Olentangy Plain is bound by Lane Avenue, Olentangy River Road, Ackerman Road and State Route 315. The land use in this area is predominately athletics, including several major athletic facilities. Another large portion of the district is dedicated to Chadwick Arboretum. The edge along Ackerman Road is developed sparsely with residential buildings and the childcare center. Future plans show that the northern portion of the district along Ackerman will be developed with future campus buildings and residences. For the purpose of defining the edge conditions, only Ackerman Road and Olentangy River Road will be explored. See the Lane Avenue sector and the State Route 315 edge treatment for guidelines on these edges.

Design Guidelines

• Preserve the area at the southwest corner of Ackerman Road and Olentangy River Road as in an open, undeveloped site.
• Use generous building and parking setbacks of 100’ from the right-of-way throughout the district to reinforce the rural character of the area. These setbacks will create a 100’ landscape easement.
• Place informal groupings of large, long-lived, shade trees in open expanses of lawn within the 100’ landscape easement. The groupings will be used to filter and focus views. The lawn shall be maintained several times per year, yet does not require the high maintenance of other high priority areas on campus.
• Plant the median strip along Olentangy River Road with informal groupings of ornamental trees and shade trees.
• Place a 10’-12’ asphalt bike/pedestrian path throughout the Olentangy Plain. The path will be located a minimum distance of 15’ from the edge of curb to ensure its maximum usage. The path should be gently meandering with large radii to provide a direct route to all users. An exception to this is the west side of Olentangy River Road along the new service road near the Jerome G. Schottenstein Center. At this location the sidewalk should be located along the service road to guide the large volume of pedestrian traffic to the Jerome G. Schottenstein Center. In addition, it is also recommended that no paths be installed along the east side of Olentangy River Road to promote the use of a bike/pedestrian trail along the Olentangy River.
• Place light fixtures, selected from the University family of light fixtures, 5’ from the edge of pavement. They will be staggered along Olentangy River Road at an interval which provides safe lighting levels for vehicles and pedestrians. These fixtures will be continuous along the south edge of Ackerman Road.

Typical Olentangy Plain Edge Treatment.

State Route 315 Corridor
The State Route 315 corridor serves as a major corridor for visitors and users of the University as well as the City of Columbus as a whole. The corridor provides the motorist with views of the western portion of the campus and has the opportunity to frame long views to the landmarks of the central campus.

Design Guidelines

• Emphasize the rural characteristics of the north and west districts of campus along the 315 corridor.
• Place large shade trees and ornamental trees informally behind the Ohio Department of Transportation fence that currently exists. Locate plants to frame views to University landmarks. Views will be directed toward the Jerome G. Schottenstein Center, the Stadium, the Olentangy River, Chadwick Arboretum, University Hall and other natural and architectural landmarks of the central campus. Views to service structures along Kenny Road will be screened.
• Place trees in open expanses of lawn. The lawn shall be maintained several times per year, yet does not require the same level of maintenance as other high priority areas on campus.
• Use gentle mounding to aid in the filtering and focusing of views.

Typical State Route 315 Edge Treatment